


The Secrets We Bury

by LordoftheNerds97



Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-03-23 01:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 93,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13777278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordoftheNerds97/pseuds/LordoftheNerds97
Summary: It started out as a normal day. Well, as normal as it can get for the parents of a six year old with a brain tumor. Harper Scott was going in for surgery when the meteors hit the bustling town of Smallville. While the first few minutes were a little rough, everything came out fine. But as Harper gets older, she starts realizing that things aren't exactly what they seem in the quaint little town. She knows something is wrong, especially with her best friend, Clark Kent. As a certain businessman sticks his nose where it doesn't belong and a light is shone on four highschool friends, Harper starts uncovering long hidden secrets. Maybe things aren't exactly what she thought they were.





	1. Prologue

**October 1989**

Harper listened to the bustle of activity both in and outside her room. The nurse was busy injecting something into the IV. Her parents gave her a reassuring smile and her mother reached over to squeeze her hand. "You'll be awake again before you know it!" she said.

Harper resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm not scared, mommy." she said.

Her mother, Sarah, let out a soft laugh. "I know, sweetheart. You're a brave little girl."

"And guess what?" her father, Ken, asked. "As soon as you wake up, I'll bring you some ice cream!"

Harper smiled and felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy. She remembered the nurse told her she would get really tired and when she woke up, she would be all better. She hoped they were right. She didn't like being sick. The nurse grinned down at her. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart." she said softly. Harper nodded her head once before her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. The nurse moved behind the head of the bed and pushed it out of the pre op room. "It should take about five hours. As soon as its done, the surgeon will come and see you." she said.

Sarah and Ken nodded, moving to the waiting room. They had spent close to a year searching for a doctor that could help Harper. She had been born prematurely, and come to find out, with cancer. She progressed and matured just like any other child but not as quickly. Over the years, the tumor grew in size and most didn't think she would live over four years. But their baby girl was proving them all wrong; proving to be a fighter. The surgeons they had seen all told them that the tumor was too large to do anything about, that all they could do was keep her comfortable. But eventually, the found Doctor Smith. He had reviewed Harper's case and decided he could do something to help her. After giving her a few rounds of chemo therapy and a couple prescriptions, the tumor shrank in size dramatically. It took a few months, but he was sure he could remove it without causing Harper any damage.

Meanwhile in the operating room of Metropolis General, the surgeon was getting ready to start. He nodded to the nurses and aids who were there to assist him. His gloved hands made quick work of her hair, running the electric razor over her entire head, clipping what little hair had been left from the Chemo. He pursed his lips from under the mask, noting that the red marks on her head were off slightly. Remarking in black, he took a deep breath. "Let's begin."

Ten minutes later, Sarah was pacing in the waiting room. She had been waiting for this moment for six years, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't anxious. For six years, the parents had been on pins and needles, wondering if their precious daughter would ever get better. Now that the time had finally arrived to make her better, she was worried about the outcome. Of course, there were risks involved in the surgery, as with everything else that they had done so far. Doctor Smith assured them that Harper would come out of it just fine and with no lasting effects. He had said that she would live out a normal, happy, and healthy life, that the tumor once removed, shouldn't cause any more problems. His constant reassurances helped calm Sarah and Ken's nerves, but there was always a chance that the doctors were wrong.

Ken watched as his wife paced the length of the room several times. "She's gonna be fine, Sarah."

Sarah bit her lip as she wrapped her arms around her waist. "I know. But that doesn't stop me from worrying."

He nodded. "Of course it won't. You're her mother. I'd be concerned if you didn't worry." he said with a good natured grin, trying to lift her spirits, even if just the slightest.

Sarah let out a quiet laugh and opened her mouth to respond. But as she did, the lights flickered briefly and they could feel the building begin to shake. Frowning at the sudden movement, the couple rushed from their places in the waiting room to the windows that were down the hall. From the fifth floor of the hospital, they could see several rocks flying through the sky with a trail of smoke behind them. Their eyes widened as the floor beneath them rumbled once again and they saw one of the rocks make contact with the ground miles away. Ken whirled around and hurried to the window at the other end of the hallway, trying to figure out what was happening. An alarm started to sound above them, making panic clench in Sarah's chest. Her heart seemed to stop as the building shook once again, the lights going out completely. The hallway they were in stayed lit because of the windows, which also allowed them to see the destruction that was happening outside.

Explosions came from the direction of their hometown, Smallville, and more of the meteors continued to rain down. Sarah let out a choked sob as the electricity flickered back on. She hoped and prayed that her baby girl was all right. People started surrounding them, shuffling the couple this way and that, trying to get out of the hospital. They were pulled along in the current of bodies, being pushed and shoved in all different directions. Sarah looked frantically for her husband, who she saw about five feet behind her. She paused in her steps trying to reach him, and was just about run over herself. A hand latched around her arm and she jumped in surprise only to calm her frantic heart when she realized it was Ken. He wrapped an arm around her waist protectively as the security guards and nurses guided them down the stairs and through the main exit of the hospital. Once outside, the chaos became so much worse.

Thankfully, it appeared that none of the meteors had hit Metropolis, but several had come close. Ken held his wife tightly as he looked up at the sky to see several more begin their descent on the Earth. Above the roar of panicked crowds, the sound of the asteroids reminded him of a plane engine. The sound was almost deafening and he pushed himself and his wife to the ground when debris started falling. Feeling the smaller rocks rain down on his back, he used his body to shield Sarah, doing what he could to protect her.

And then, it seemed as quickly as it had started, it stopped. As they looked up and around, their ears were filled with ringing. People were still standing in the streets, trying to figure out what they had just been through. Debris from the meteors had begun to fall as well, putting a few solid dents in the buildings and streets around them. People were looking for their loved ones, crying out in relief when they found each other. Ken and Sarah got to their feet, looking around for any evidence of the doctors and nurses that were taking care of their daughter. Seeing no one, Sarah let out a choked sob, clinging to her husband and burying her face in his chest. Her mind immediately went to the worst possible outcome while he tried to calm her.

"They're probably inside, just as confused as we are." Ken said, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Sarah nodded mutely, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. Ken guided her back into the hospital, where a nurse met them. "Are you hurt?" she asked, looking over the now soot covered couple.

"No...but our daughter was in the middle of an operation." Ken said.

The nurse nodded once, leading them both to the waiting room. "What was the OR number? Do you remember?"

"502." Sarah said, trying to keep the panic under control.

"Wait here. I'll go find out what's happened." the nurse said. She scurried off towards the stairs with the lights finally regaining their power. She made her way up the five flights, directing anyone she came across to the places they needed to be. Once she found the correct floor, she went in search of the operating room. She found it within moments and stepped inside the viewing room, hoping to find what she needed. The doctor looked up when he heard the microphone click on.

"Does someone mind telling me what's going on out there?" he asked, trying to stabilize the girl's vitals.

"There was some sort of...meteor shower, I guess." the nurse said over the intercom, not sure exactly what they had all just been through.

"Whatever it is, its screwing with my lights and monitors. I need some help down here to keep everything stabilized." he said, looking back down at the little girl on his table. "This kid has fought too hard and too long to go out like this. I need to finish."

"I'll be right there." the nurse said.

Within a half hour, everything was running smoothly again. The lights had stayed on and all the monitors and machines were working properly. "If that's all, Doctor, this girl's parents need to know that she's okay."

Doctor Smith nodded. "Thanks for your help, Angie. Let them know I'm on schedule."

Angie nodded with a smile, heading out of the room. She stripped off the gloves, gown, and mask she had donned, going back to make her way through the hospital once again. She found the couple right where she had left them, and they were more anxious than she thought possible. She approached them with a warm smile to try and calm their frazzled nerves.

"Where is she?!" the woman demanded.

"Mister and Misses Scott, correct?"

"Yes."

"My name is Angie. I've just finished helping Doctor Smith. There was a small problem with the lights staying on, but your daughter is doing fine. He said it would've been a little longer if we had to use flashlights, but he should be done in a few more hours." she said with a reassuring smile.

Sarah let out a sigh of relief and reached for the other woman. Surprised, the nurse let herself be pulled into a tight hug. "Thank you." Sarah said, the relief obvious in her voice.

"You're welcome. If you'd like, you can head back up to the waiting room, or you can stay here. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you so much." Ken said. "We really appreciate it."

Angie smiled again. "No problem. I've got to go check and see if anyone was hurt, but I'll check in on you guys a little later." she said before excusing herself.

Sarah and Ken made their way back up to the fifth floor waiting room which had been deserted. True to her word, another hour and a half later, Angie found them waiting on the Doctor once again. Her duties had been taken care of and her shift had just ended, so she decided to wait with them, for which they were very appreciative.

Two hours later, and a voice startled everyone.

"Ken, Sarah?"

Ken looked up while Sarah was startled awake. They found the face of Doctor Smith, who was smiling widely at them. "How is she?" Ken asked.

"She's doing quite well. She's been moved to a recovery room where she's sleeping peacefully. I want to keep her here for a couple days to keep an eye on her, but I dont expect anything to go wrong. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her."

The couple was up in a flash, thanking Angie once again before following the doctor down a hallway. "From what I've been told, several meteors hit in and around Smallville." he said, glancing back to Harper's parents.

Ken and Sarah shared a look. "After I see her, I need to go make sure we have a home to go back to."

"Just what I was going to suggest. If everything checks out, I'm going to release Harper on Saturday. You can take her home, but try to keep her out of any dust or debris from the meteors."

Ken nodded. He wasn't about to do anything that could make her sick again. He would rather her stay in the hospital until they could get everything cleaned up in Smallville, but he knew that was probably a little too much to ask. "I want to see her, make sure she's okay, and then I'll drive home." he said. Sarah nodded her approval as the door to their left was opened. Both parents sighed at the sight of their daughter sleeping peacefully in the bed. Her head had been carefully bandaged and wrapped, also lying on two pillows to keep it supported. Both of them were happy that she was okay. She was going to have a long and happy life if it was the last thing they made sure of. But right now, they just wanted to be close to their daughter.


	2. Hometown - Twenty One Pilots

Present Day

Harper stood in the kitchen of their small home packing her lunch for the day. Her ice blue eyes found the clock on the wall above the stove, telling her she needed to hurry. It was the first day of her senior year. As much as she despised school, she never wanted to be late on the first day. She finished putting her veggie sandwich together and put it in her small lunch bag which fit perfectly inside her black and grey messenger bag. She went around the living room and grabbed all the papers she needed and shoved them into her bag, along with a notebook and folder. "Bye, mom! I love you!" she called.

"Bye, sweetie! Have a good day." her mother called back, still upstairs in her office. She worked as a personal finance advisor, and much of her work she got to do at home. Her father worked at the local realty office and was there already.

Harper headed towards the door and grabbed her old and beat up longboard from its resting place by the red door. She paused on the porch, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She tied her hair up in a pony tail before going down to the street. They lived just outside of town on Main Street, which made it easy for Harper to board to school instead of walking or taking the bus. And this warm August day was the perfect opportunity to do that. She slung the messenger bag over her shoulder and started kicking a few times to get up to speed. Once she hit the hill, she wouldn't hardly have to kick at all. It was smooth riding from then on. She put her headphones on over her ears, leaving one uncovered so she could still hear cars coming from different directions. Papa Roach played through, their newest single sounding in her ear as she skated towards town. It wasn't long before she reached her destination. And she got there just as the bus was pulling up. She grinned at her timing, gently rolling up to her best friend. She briefly wondered how he had gotten there before the bus. Clark Kent was never one to be early. Late? Definitely. But early? She'd never personally seen it. Until now.

"What're you doin here, Kent? Shouldn't you still be in bed?" she teased, balancing her weight between the board and the sidewalk.

He rolled his eyes. "Har dee har har." he mumbled.

She lightly threw her fist into his shoulder, to which he raised an eyebrow. He slung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her, giggling, to his side for a hug. "Good morning to you too, dork." she said.

Harper was three years older than her best friends, Chloe, Pete, and Clark. But considering how immature they could all be at times, there was really no contest as to who was the oldest. If they were being serious, Clark was the most mature out of all of them. It was the first day of their freshman year while she was starting her senior. It was going to be weird after school was over, not being with them all day long. The other seniors that walked by raised an eyebrow at Harper and Clark, noting that his arm was still around her while she stood a few inches taller on her board. They also didn't miss the shorter-than-probably-appropriate frayed shorts and the form fitting racerback tank top she wore while she looked up adoringly at her best friend. Harper and Clark were both affectionate people, and it was easy for people to get the idea that the two of them were an item. To Harper, the thought was laughable. But to everyone else it didn't seem so far fetched.

"So, has anyone asked you to the dance yet?"

Harper turned at the sound of Pete's voice. She smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

Chloe waved back as she answered, "Not yet."

"Well, if it doesn't pan out with you know who, maybe you and-"

"Pete, do you want to take a commercial break from the soap opera in your head?" Chloe interrupts, giving her friend an exasperated look. Harper grinned as she realized what they were talking about. Clark was too absorbed in his own thoughts to pay attention. "I've told you a hundred times, I'm not into Clark."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your vehement denial has been duly noted. But maybe if no one asks you, you and I can go together? Not like a date thing, but as friends." By this time, they had reached Clark and Harper. "What about you, H? Anyone ask you to the dance?"

She scoffed. "Nope. Honestly, I don't plan on going. A roomful of sweaty teenagers isn't exactly my speed."

"True dart." Chloe muttered in agreement.

"Hey guys!" Clark said, somehow managing to balance a stack of books in one arm.

Chloe gave him a confused frown. "Didn't you...weren't you just..."

"I took a shortcut." Clark responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"Through what? A black hole?"

Harper raised an eyebrow. Was Clark up to his games again? She knew something had been going on with her friend lately, but she hadn't been able to put her finger on it.

"You guys will have to excuse our intrepid reporter. Her weirdar is on defcon five. She thought something was attacking the bus." Pete said with a snort of laughter.

Chloe scowled. "Okay, just because everyone else chooses to ignore the strange happenings in this leafy little hamlet doesn't mean I'm going to."

"Or that they don't happen." Harper agreed. She whole heartedly agreed with Chloe and her wall of weird. There were a lot of unexplained things that happened in Smallville since the meteors, but everyone else seemed content to ignore the evidence.

"You know we'd love to join you and Scooby Doo here inside the mystery machine," Pete said, nodding to Chloe and Harper. "But we have to turn in these permission slips before homeroom."

"Actually..." Clark started, looking down at the ground for a second. "I'm having some second thoughts. I don't think signing up for the team is such a great idea."

"Clark. This is the only way and you know it." Pete said seriously.

"Wait...you guys are joining the football team?" Harper asked, finally pulling out of Clark's grasp to stare up at him with a confused expression.

"What is this, some sort of suicide pact?" Chloe asked, equally as surprised and confused.

Pete grabbed Chloe's arm and dragged her to the side, out of the way of the flow of traffic. Harper and Clark followed closely behind. "Look, we're trying to avoid becoming this year's scarecrow." he said in an intense whisper.

"You guys are seriously worried about that?" Harper asked with an eye roll. "Look, don't worry. I can keep you guys off the radar."

"Yeah, but we figure the team would never choose one of their own, right?"

"If anyone even tries anything with you two, I'll whoop their as-"

"Okay, hold up. What is this scarecrow thing?"

"Every year before the big game, the football players pick a freshman, take him out to Riley Field, strip him down to his boxers and paint an S on his chest." Pete explained, shuddering at the horror stories he had been told.

"And they string him up like a scarecrow." Clark added.

"Wow...that sounds like therapy waiting to happen." Chloe said with a frown.

"Yeah, and it's not gonna happen to either of you. Whitney and the other jocks try it, and they have me to answer to." Harper said, crossing her arms with a scowl. She was a well known prankster and trickster in the school. Anyone crossed her and they brought out her dark gifts. No one wanted to mess with Harper and her friends. In her sophomore and Lana's freshman, someone had tried to prank Lana with purple goo spraying from her locker. Harper had put a quick end to that by stringing the guy up on the flagpole. Everyone knew she and her friends were off limits.

"I'll catch you guys later." Clark said, taking off in the opposite direction. Chloe and Harper followed his line of sight, seeing Lana standing with some of her friends. They knew exactly what was about to happen.

Pete pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to Harper. "I give him ten seconds."

Chloe scoffed. "Give him five."

"One, two, three, four, five-" Harper counted, stopping with a wince when she saw Clark drop to the ground and scatter his things.

"Statistical fact? Clark Kent can't get within five feet of Lana Lang without turning into a freak show." Chloe said.

Harper snorted in agreement and handed the money off to the other girl. "I gotta get to class. Keep an eye on him today for me, would ya? He's gonna need all the help he can get." she said. She bent down and picked up her longboard, walking inside the school. She quickly made her way through the sea of people towards her locker. She had just managed to get the lock undone when she heard a voice from behind.

"Well, well, well. Nice legs, Scott. Didn't know you were willing to show that much skin."

Harper glared and shoved her board into her locker, slamming the door closed when she did. She turned on her heel to face Dustin, her harasser since the beginning of highschool. "What do you want, Dustin?" she snapped.

He cocked his head to the side, allowing his blonde hair to fall in his eyes. "You know what I want, sweetheart."

Harper growled. "Why don't you get lost? Wouldn't want you to end up like Jake."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

She laughed. "See, when people piss me off, I have this bad habit of showing them where the door is. In Jake's case, he found it duct taped half naked to a rolling chair in the middle of the school."

"That was you?"

"Wanna find out?" she inquired, crossing her arms. She smirked victoriously as he raised his hands and backed off. There were people who pushed her limits, and Dustin was one of them. But even he knew when enough was enough with Harper. He left with his ever present sidekick, leaving Harper in peace once again. The bell was due to ring any moment and she began making her way to the classroom. As she passed the trophy case, she frowned as she saw a guy walk away after dropping a black bandanna on the ground. She noticed the busted glass that scattered across the floor with the piece of fabric in the middle of it.

After lunch, Harper headed to the football field. She had two free periods and was determined to spend half her time watching Pete at his tryout. She sat with Clark, who she had pulled out of the clouds. He had been stuck in what she liked to refer to as Lana Land. It couldn't be any more obvious that Clark really cared about her. But Lana and apparently Whitney were completely oblivious to the fact. As one of her best friends, Harper felt the need on multiple occasions to express her distaste of Lana's choice of boyfriend material. She looked up from her trigonometry homework when she heard footsteps coming up the bleachers.

"Hey, Clark, Harper!" Pete exclaimed, reaching the two moments later. Harper grinned as she watched the excited boy pull on the helmet, which was obviously too big for him. "How do I look?" he asked, striking a pose.

"Like a million bucks!" she responded. "Break a leg, my friend. Preferably not literally. But if you do, preferably not yours."

He snorted. "Sure thing, H. I'll break Dustin's."

Harper grinned at that. "I'll cheer you on. I'm sure Chloe would want to make the popcorn."

Clark waved to his friend as he started down towards the field. "Dustin? Has he been bothering you again?" he asked her. His eyes were dark with concern.

"Nothin I can't handle." she said, tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "He's just being the biggest jerk he can. He pushes me, don't worry, I'll push back."

He sighed and knocked his shoulder against hers lightly. "I know. And I know you can take care of yourself. But sometimes I just really want to put that guy in his place."

She nodded in agreement. The two of them watched and cheered Pete on as he performed for the coach. It wasn't long before he had finished. "Do you have your board?" she asked, turning to Clark.

He frowned but nodded. "Why?"

"Wanna go for a ride?"

He looked down at his watch. "Sure, I got time."

Harper grinned and stood up, making him follow her as she made her way back to her locker. They parted ways momentarily to grab what they needed. When they met up again outside the school, Harper smiled and shook her head when she saw the beat up skateboard she had gotten Clark when they were kids. "You need a new one." she observed, stepping onto hers.

"Yeah, but yours isn't much better." he quipped, kicking off beside her. Harper unplugged her headphones and started up the mixed CD she had made as the two of them started cruising down the street. She hummed along as she pulled ahead of Clark, her board built more for speed and cruising instead of tricks like his. Ten minutes and a few failed tricks later and the two of them stood on the bridge, looking down at the river that flowed beneath them. Their boards leaned up against the guard rail beside them and they just stood silently, watching the gentle flow of the water.

"So..." Clark started, breaking the comfortable silence that had drawn out. "Have you decided what you're gonna do after graduation?"

She pursed her lips and glanced at him. "Well, I'm planning on sticking around for your graduation, if that's what you mean." she said, nudging him playfully with her elbow.

"That was part of it." he said with a chuckle. "I know you said you weren't sure if you wanted to go to college or not. Have you figured that out?"

Harper shrugged. "I don't think I want to go to college, per say. Maybe take one or two classes. I was thinking about moving to Metropolis, though. There's several companies that could use my skills." Like her mother, Harper was amazing when it came to any sort of math. She had passed Algebra one and two in her freshman year with no problems, and she was now studying advanced calculus and trigonometry. Her science skills were pretty good too, but math was her strongest subject.

"You could always apply to LuthorCorp." he joked.

"Not funny, Clark." she said with a straight face. "I have no intention of being a pooper scooper."

He laughed. "Fertilizer isn't all they do!" he defended.

"No. I'm actually quite happy at the Beanery, thank you very much. But I know they can't keep me forever. Much as I would like to stay there...I kinda need more than three bucks an hour plus tips."

He raised an eyebrow, pausing as a truck went by. "That's all you make there?" he asked. "Pft, I'd be asking for a raise. As hard as you work there and as good of a job as you do, I think you deserve a little more than that."

Harper shrugged. "Meh. It's not that bad right now." They both glanced back when they heard the roar of an old Porsche, surprised to find it all over the road. Harper noticed that a bundle of metal fencing had fallen from the truck that passed by them earlier. And now, the sports car was hurtling towards them.

"Harper, look out!" Clark exclaimed, grabbing her by the waist and pushing her out of the way. She let out a surprised yell at the sudden action, unable to catch herself in time. She crashed to the ground, the cement doing a number on her bare legs. She looked back in time to see the car inches from her best friend.

"CLARK!" she screamed.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Harper thrust her hand out as the car collided with the railing. Clark was thrown backwards, away from the front bumper, before the car hit him. But car, driver, and Clark went sailing through the air. They all went crashing into the river, creating a huge wave and splash. Harper scrambled to her feet and ran to the destroyed part of the bridge. She let out a quiet sob of relief at seeing Clark hit the water a safe distance from the car. But not knowing whether anyone was injured had her stripping off her bomber jacket and jumping in after them. She held her breath as her feet hit the water and she rocketed downwards. She saw Clark swimming towards the car and the man trapped inside. She made her way towards them as well. She ducked under Clark and tried to open the door, but to no avail. She swam upwards and along with Clark, grabbed the top of the car where it was already partially bent. Using every ounce of strength they had, they pulled backwards, warping the roof enough for Clark to reach in and grab the man. As they were swimming up to the surface, a large piece of the concrete bridge fell into the water. Surprised and with the heavy rock sinking quickly, Harper raised her hand and let out a surprised scream. The air left her lungs quickly and bubbled in front of them. Prepared for the impact, both Clark and Harper were surprised to see the chunk of concrete several feet away from them and continuing to sink. Shaking it off and with lungs screaming, they broke the surface.

They pulled the unconscious man with them up the bank. Once they reached dry land, Harper bent over and put her ear to his chest. Hearing and feeling no heartbeat, she panicked. "He's not breathing!" she exclaimed.

"Don't die on us now." Clark demanded, starting chest compressions. Harper moved and angled his head properly before bending down and starting mouth to mouth. As Harper released her grip, he suddenly sucked in air before coughing and spitting out water. She helped him onto his side before he completely coughed up the remains of the water.

"I could've sworn I hit you." he muttered, looking up at Clark.

Clark glanced over at Harper, who was kneeling across from him, breathing heavily. "You almost did." he responded, running a hand through his soaking wet hair. "Are you okay?"

The man nodded, taking another deep breath. "Thanks to you two."

"Let me get my bag." Harper said, looking up to the bridge. "I've got my phone up there."

She pushed herself to her feet, using Clark's shoulder as leverage. Harper sploshed her way up the hill until she reached the bridge. Thankfully, her bag was there she had left it. Bur as she looked around and saw the splinters, she realized her board had been destroyed. She shook her head and dug around for her phone, heading back down to the other two when she did. She talked to the emergency response lady as she made her way down. Once she reached her companions, she sat down on a fallen log. "Clark?"

He looked up at her.

"You okay?"

He nodded, wiping more water out of his eyes. "What about you?"

"A few scrapes, but I'll live. Paramedics are on the way. The operator said she would call our parents." she said. She turned her attention to the soaking wet bald man in front of her. "Now. Would you care to explain who you are and why you almost killed my best friend?"

"My name's Lex."

She scoffed. "Should've known. Luthors don't care about the laws, do they?"

He sighed and looked at the ground. The menacing glare of Harper Scott could bring grown men to their knees in tears. And Lex, under her stare, was feeling like a scolded child. "I wasn't paying attention and didn't see the fence in the road."

"Which is why there's a speed limit, genius." Harper responded. She took her hair out of the pony tail, in a rather painful manner, and began wringing the brown and blonde strands out. Clark looked up to the now mangled bridge, wondering exactly what had happened. He knew the car hadn't hit him and he wondered how. He glanced back over at Harper, who was putting her hair up in a bun and trying to wring out her shirt without stripping. For his part, he stripped off the red shirt he had been wearing and wrung it out. "EMTs should be here any minute." Harper said, hearing the sirens in the distance.

Sure enough, the ambulance found them minutes later. They gave all three of them red shock blankets and checked their vitals. Harper was a little more beat up than she let on and they had to wrap her leg and recommended she go to the hospital for stitches. But she had insisted on waiting until Clark and her parents showed up. State Troopers had arrived as well and were surveying the area and photographing the scene of the accident to document everything. While she was sitting in the back of the ambulance with Lex, who was watching her curiously as she grit her teeth against the pain in her leg, she heard the roar of two engines.

"Clark! Harper!" She recognized the voice of Johnathan, who was like her second father. She climbed out of the ambulance, the blanket wrapped securely over her shoulders. Johnathan put a hand on Clark's cheek, checking him over to make sure he was fine. "Son, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Dad."

The farmer turned his attention to Harper and he noticed the large white bandage. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "What happened, Harper? Are you okay?"

She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay."

"Harper! Clark!"

Harper turned at the sound of her father's voice. She was suddenly pulled into another hug, to which she gladly returned. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked, pushing her back and looking her over.

"I'm fine, Dad. Just a few scrapes."

"Who was the maniac that was driving that car?!" Johnathan demanded of a nearby Trooper.

"That would be me. Lex Luthor." Lex said as he approached them. He extended his hand for either of the men to take, and they just glared at him, looking him up and down as if to size him up.

"I'm Johnathan Kent. This is Ken Scott." Johnathan said as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Clark's shoulders. Ken wrapped his arm around Harper's shoulders and allowed her to lean part of her weight on him. Constantly being on that board of hers, she had her fair share of injuries. She was used to tolerating pain; she had since she was a little girl. So Ken knew if the "scrapes" were bad enough for her to want to take the weight off, she must've been hiding more than that under the bandages.

"Thank you, both of you, for saving my life." Lex said, turning his attention to the teenagers.

"I'm sure you would've done the same thing." Clark said stiffly. Harper settled for narrowing her eyes at the billionaire and nodding once. Clark stood and he and his father began to make their way back to the small blue truck. Lex's voice stopped them once again.

"You have an extraordinary boy there, mister Kent. If there's anything I can do to repay you-"

"Drive slower." Ken interrupted with a growl. His grip on Harper tightened momentarily and Lex nodded. The three of them watched as the old sports car was towed from the depths of the river, mangled and destroyed. The roof had clearly been damaged, and not by the accident. Lex looked thoughtfully in the direction of the retreating Kents and caught the tail end of Harper's conversation with her father. "I would board home, but I think it got smashed when the car went over." she said.

"Are you kidding?" Ken asked. "I'm taking you to the hospital. One of the medics said they recommend you get stitches. So that's what you're going to do." Harper sighed but nodded, allowing her father to drive her to the small hospital.

* * *

Sarah and Ken had insisted that Harper stay home from both school and work the next day. It was about one in the afternoon and both her parents were out of the house, leaving the eighteen year old without much to do. With her board destroyed, her usual hobby had been kicked to the curb. She could wander over to the Kent farm and see what was happening there. She had just changed from her pajamas into a pair of surfer shorts and was pulling a tank top on over her head when she heard the doorbell ring. Wondering who would have any business being there, she padded to the front door, the wood flooring barely creaking under her bare feet. She opened the painted red door to find none other than Lex Luthor standing there, hands in his pockets as he looked off to the side. The sudden movement of the door opening caused him to jump slightly, making her smirk.

"Well, this is a surprise." Harper said, crossing her arms as she pushed the screen door open with her foot.

Lex flashed her an award winning smile. "Hey, Harper. Mrs. Kent said you'd be here."

"Here I am." she responded dryly.

"How's your leg?" he asked, nodding down to her bandaged thigh. The white wrapping poked out underneath the denim of her shorts and she glanced down at it.

"Not the worst I've ever dealt with. I'm sure I'll survive."

"Good. I know our first introductions weren't exactly...planned...but I wanted to come and thank you. I didn't really get to say a whole lot before your Dad took you to the hospital."

Harper raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the black Camaro that was parked in the driveway. "Keep your promise to my dad?" she asked.

His smile grew. "Actually, yeah. I have. I just came from Clark's. He wasn't home, but I'm glad I caught you." He reached for a large box that he had leaned against the siding in case she hadn't answered the door. "This is for you." he explained. "I heard you mention something about a board yesterday. I think that's what put the giant hole in my windshield. I figured since I destroyed your old one and you saved my life, this was the very least I could do."

Harper stared at the box he was holding out to her, unsure of whether or not to take it. "Luthor, if you think you can buy my friendship or whatever, think again." she said, eyeing the box warily.

"No, its nothing like that, I promise." he assured her. A small smile flickered across his lips as she gingerly reached for the box. "I just wanted to say thank you." As she took the object from him, her fingers brushed against his and he looked at her. "What you and Clark did...that was amazing. I know Clark said yesterday he thought I would do the same. I can honestly say now that I would." he said.

Harper's ice blue eyes stared up at him, examining his features closely. He seemed polite enough, and with the manners of a billionaire to prove it. She was a little hesitant to admit that he wasn't hard on the eyes. His soft, easy smile was something to beware of because it had been designed to break down walls. Which is exactly what he was trying to do with her. "Well, if I got the billionaire playboy to start thinking about people other than himself...I guess I'll call that a win." she said, allowing a smile of her own to shine through.

He chuckled. "I know I'm not the easiest person in the world to get along with. So yeah, I'd deem that a success as well." He turned and looked down the road, his hands still in his pockets. "Its gonna be interesting trying to adjust."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My father put me in charge of the plant here. I'll be living in Smallville to keep an eye on it." he explained. "Country living isn't exactly my speed."

Harper snorted and raised an eyebrow. "And I guess that means driving off bridges is the norm in the big city?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Ha, ha." he responded, rolling his eyes. "You're never gonna let me live that down are you?"

She grinned. "Nope. Never."

"I think we'll get along just fine." he said with a chuckle.

Harper gave him an incredulous look. "You assume we're gonna see more of each other?"

Lex smiled. "That's kinda how this whole friendship thing works, Harper. By the way, that's a really pretty name."

She felt her cheeks flush and she suddenly became very self conscious. She never was good at accept complements, especially from men. It just made her uncomfortable. "Thanks." she said, looking down at the ground.

"So, do you have any suggestions on things to do in Smallville?"

Harper let out a bark of laughter. "You think there's actually things to do here?" she asked. "That's hilarious, Lex."

Lex frowned. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "The closest fun thing is going to Metropolis for go karts. And that's like an hour away."

"Well...what do you do for fun?"

She shrugged before setting the box inside the house. She had been getting tired of holding it. "I read. I board. I work. I go to school. Go to bed, wake up in the morning, and start the process all over again." she explained. "I don't exactly have a lot of time to do anything."

"Sounds like you're pretty busy."

"Yeah. I'm trying to keep my grades up this year so I can apply for a decent job. I was thinking about something in the finance or R&D branches of Wayne Enterprises." she said.

"You would move all the way to Gotham for something like that?" he asked.

She shrugged. "You moved to Smallville, didn't you?"

"Fair enough. This is probably gonna come out all wrong, but how old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in November. I just started my senior year of high school. That's why I want to keep my grades up this year. I don't think Wayne Enterprises would want a high school dropout on their payroll."

Lex gave her a thoughtful look. "You know, if you're really that good with numbers and science, I'm sure there would be a position for you with LuthorCorp. Besides, you would be closer to home." he said. "We're always looking for people with amazing minds."

She smiled but shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, Lex. But I want to actually have to work for the position I want, not just have it handed to me. You know what I mean?"

He frowned. "Not really. But I can appreciate the sentiment."

Harper almost did a facepalm in front of him. Of course he wouldn't have any idea what she meant. He grew up as a spoiled rich brat. He probably had everything he ever wanted handed to him on a silver platter. Why did she think, even for a second, otherwise? Besides, he was probably doing all this because he thought he owed her a debt. "Right...sorry..."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. But, if you ever change your mind, just let me know. I would be happy to have you."

"Thanks." she said.

Lex glanced down at the Rolex that was on his wrist. "I have to get going. But I'll see you around, okay?"

"Sure. See ya around."

He started towards the stairs before pausing and turning around. "Hey Harper?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor...try not to get yourself killed on that thing. I would hate to have to go to your funeral after just meeting you." And without waiting For a response, he turned and walked away, heading for his car. Harper just quietly shook her head and went back inside. She but her lip as she stared at the box. Finally she sighed and reached for it. She set it up on the island in the middle of the kitchen, grabbing a knife to open it. Her eyes widened when she took the lid off. Wrapped carefully was a brand new bamboo longboard. It was polished and in pristine condition, looking brand new. She ran her fingers across the surface of the board, marveling at the design on the deck. She looked back to the door when she heard an engine rev outside. Maybe she had judged Lex Luthor a little too prematurely. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.


	3. Anonymous - Three Days Grace

The next morning, Harper caught up with Clark outside the school as the bell was getting ready to ring. "Hey," she called. "Did you happen to have a surprise visit from a certain billionaire playboy yesterday?" she asked, jogging to keep up with him.

"Good morning to you too, Harper." he said while rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm serious." she said with a frown.

Clark noticed her serious mood. "Well, I wasn't home when it happened, but yeah. Except he referred to himself as 'a maniac in a Porsche.' Why? Did you?"

She laughed before nodding. "Yeah. He came by yesterday afternoon. Brought me a present."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Same. I got a nice new truck. But my dad won't let me keep it."

Harper frowned. "My parents weren't too thrilled with my present either, but they're gonna let me keep it."

"What was yours?"

In response, Harper shoved her new board towards him. He took it, both eyebrows raising as he took in the craftsmanship. "Wow, Harper." he said, looking at it from all different angles. "This is awesome. And perfect for you. I mean, look at the deck!"

She grinned happily. "I know! I love the detail. But this is exactly the type I was wanting to get. An Arbor pintail."

He chuckled. "I guess the resident maniac billionaire knows how to read a skater when he sees one."

Harper snorted. "I'm not that obvious. Am I?"

Clark laughed. "Nah. But listen, I'm gonna have to cancel this afternoon-"

"Aw, but you promised!" she whined. "We never hang out any more."

He sighed and ran a hand through his curly hair. "I know, and I'm really sorry. But my dad wants me to take the truck back to Lex."

"Well, why don't I just come with you? Ya know, for moral support?"

He smiled at her banter. "Sure, I guess. So, what do you think of him?"

"Who? Lex?"

Clark nodded his confirmation and opened the door for her. Harper began to worry her bottom lip as she thought. She hadn't talked to the man very long, but the second impression she got from him wasn't horrible. He seemed genuinely appreciative about what she and Clark had done. It appeared that even though he liked to flaunt his wealth, he also enjoyed using it for his friends. If his intentions of having her and Clark as friends were honorable, she thought it was definitely going to take some time for him to change her opinion of his attitude and lifestyle, but it wasn't impossible. She thought that once someone got to know him, which was a difficult feat in itself, he genuinely cared about them, taking care of them as if they were family. She thought that he was a conceited and pompous jerk, but that he could change if given the chance.

"Yo! Earth to Harper!"

She blinked a few times, seeing the hand suddenly waving in front of her face. She turned to Clark, obviously flustered. "Sorry...what?"

He chuckled. "You like him, don't you?"

She pursed her lips. "I wouldn't say like, more along the lines of intrigued."

"Uh huh." he said, giving her a skeptical look.

"What?" she defended. "Do I think he's trying to buy our friendship? Possibly. Do I think he's gonna screw us over if he gets the chance? Probably. Do I think he might have a chance of changing those opinions? Sure. Point is, unlike our parents, I'm willing to give the guy a chance." she said.

He nodded. "I'm glad we agree on this."

She raised an eyebrow. "And if I hadn't?"

He sucked in a breath and blew it out. "Man, I don't know if our friendship could've survived." he teased.

She glared playfully and smacked his chest. "I'll see you later." She wandered the halls until she found homeroom, wondering where Pete and Chloe had gotten off to. She noticed a guy walking through the halls that she hadn't seen before. Frowning, she tried to put a name to the face. She had an almost photographic memory that served her well. But as she dug through the faces of everyone in the school, she still couldn't out a name to his face. He watched her as she passed him, eyes narrowed and a small frown forming on his lips. Harper shook her head once she reached the classroom. People were strange beings. Maybe that's why she preferred to keep to herself. With the exception of her three friends, of course. Well, four now, if she included Lex. She still wasn't quite sure how she felt about the businessman, but she wasn't repulsed like everyone else seemed to be.

The rest of the day passed by surprisingly fast, ending with Harper standing outside the school, her board leaning against her, as she waited for Clark. She noticed a few people give her strange looks as she looped her arm through his when he caught up to her. She just rolled her eyes and moved on. "So, are we walking back to your place or taking the bus?"

He looked at her eager expression and saw the way she clutched her new prized possession. "We can walk." he said. "Well, I'll walk. You can skate."

A huge grin split her features as she dropped the sleek bamboo board and got on. "You know, you should really start boarding again."

"I skate." he defended.

"Its not the same!" she insisted. "You do tricks and all sorts of fancy stuff-"

"I wonder who taught me that?"

"And I just cruise. I may have known how to do all sorts of kick flips when I first started out, but I don't know if I would remember them anymore." she said pointedly. "It's been so long since I've been on a skateboard, I don't even know if I would remember how to ride it properly."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, Tony Hawk."

Harper stuck her tongue out at him. "You're one to talk, mister I-can-benchpress-over-a-hundred-pounds. I'll start calling you the Rock if you beef up anymore than you already are!" she exclaimed, poking his stomach. She could feel the hard muscles beneath her fingertips. She knew Clark was a little overly sensitive about his image. He didn't want people thinking he was ripped (which he was, but that was beside the point) from doing all sorts of steroids. Harper knew that working with his dad on the farm constantly gave him quite defined muscles. She knew that he was stronger than he let on; the way he threw her around on the bridge a couple days prior proved that much.

"Hey, that's totally different!" he whined, pushing her down the road.

She wobbled a second before gaining her footing, circling back around with a scowl on her face. "Clark! You know better than to do that when I'm not prepared!" she chastised.

He just rolled her eyes. "Just because you're older than me doesn't mean that you can boss me around."

Harper crossed her arms and playfully glared at him, smoothly riding alongside him. "What'cha gonna do?"

"Hmm, I could just sit on you."

Harper smacked his chest. "Real funny, Kent. But you wouldn't do that."

He raised an eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Says me."

Clark took a step towards her, and considering how tiny she was next to his six foot build, he looked like the giant stalking Jack. She yelped in surprise and kicked away from him, her board quickly and smooth gaining a few feet. He let out a bark of laughter. "You're not as intimidating as you think you are, H." he said, walking up to her and ruffling her hair.

She scowled and bat his hand away, poking his chest. "Neither are you. You're just a freakin teddy bear asking for a hug."

With a sly smile, Clark reached forwards and wrapped his arms around Harper's small frame, squeezing her tightly and lifting her off the board. She squealed, trying to wriggle free of his grasp. He just chuckled and held her tighter, just about squeezing the breath out of her. "How's that for a bear hug?" he asked after setting her down.

She glared. "Painful." she muttered. Being as she was only about 5'5, she was rather small. But constantly being active in sports and on her board had toned her body and given her quite a lot of muscle over the years. Her parents had been against her doing anything too strenuous, but once she had convinced them to let her join the soccer team, the rest was easy. She had promised on multiple occasions that she would be careful and not over do it. By the time she reached her high school years, she had proved it, and had played on the basketball, soccer, and even softball teams since her freshman year. She knew her parents were just looking out for her and her wellbeing, but honestly, it could be a little stifling. But she wouldn't trade it for the world. "Okay, I think you're done with hauling hay and feed and then on top of it all, bechpressing the horse." she said jokingly.

He snorted. "Tell that to my dad. He wants me working on the farm for a long time."

"He probably just wants you to stick around because he wants to spend time with you." she said, chasing after her board which had slid into the ditch. "Besides, chicks dig the whole farm boy thing."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think so?"

She nodded. "In small towns like this, its unavoidable." She walked back over and reached up to pat his cheek. "And with those good looks and classic Kent charm, you'll have them all falling at your feet." she said with a grin.

Clark gave her a skeptical look. "I don't see you going after the farm boys."

Harper scoffed. "Not my type."

"Really? Then what is?"

She paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Tall, dark, and mysterious." she said eventually. "Maybe throw in a little bit of brooding. I know it sounds like a total cliche good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy situation, but hey. Girls also love a mystery." Then she frowned. "Why? What's got you so interested in the female species?"

He shrugged. "Just trying to figure it out. I mean, I've got you and Chloe, who are both amazing women, as two of my best friends. You guys aren't the easiest people in the world to read." he explained.

A sly smile took over her frown. "No, I know what this is. You wanna know how to woo Lana!" she exclaimed.

She saw his cheeks flush as he vehemently shook his head. "No, I just want to know how to deal with you guys!"

Harper scoffed once again. "Sure you do. Not because you want to know what Lana likes."

"Even if I did want to know what Lana likes, I wouldn't change myself just for her." he said. "I like who I am."

She grinned and pointed triumphantly at him. "HA! Right there, another thing we women love oh so much; a man who is confident in who he is and isn't afraid to let people know it." she said. "That's a good thing, Clark. If you find yourself changing for a woman, then she's not the right one."

"Thanks...I think?"

She rolled her eyes. "Now that the whole sappy conversation is over, do you wanna come over tonight? My parents are heading for Metropolis for something, not sure what, and I'm gonna have the whole house to myself. I was thinking pizza and scary movies."

He grinned. "You know me so well."

"Pft, of course I do. I'm your best friend." she said. They continued walking for a couple more miles, Harper having to carry her board for the lack of concrete. The Kents lived down a muddy dirt road and she preferred to keep her board as clean as possible. Neither Martha nor Johnathan were around, probably out in one of the back fields tending to the herd or the crops.

"You can leave your stuff in the house if you want. We can swing by and pick it up on the way back." Clark said as he went in to grab the keys. Harper paused briefly, her eyes scanning over the gift that Lex had given him. Her eyebrows raised as she realized it was the newest model. A blue bow adorned the hood and made her smile. She could understand why Johnathan wouldn't feel right allowing Clark to keep it, but at the same time, it could be seen as an insult if Clark gave it back. Shaking her head at the dilemma, she walked into the house and set her stuff down on one of the chairs at the table. She grabbed her wallet from her bag but decided to leave everything else. Clark came around the corner a moment later. "You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. Is it bad that I wanna drive?"

He chuckled. "No. But this is the one and only time I get to drive this, so I'm driving."

She shrugged. "I figured as much." The two of them headed out to the shiny red truck, Harper making extra sure not to get any mud or anything of the sort on the interior. Clark sighed as he started it, loving the sound of the engine. Harper knew this had to be difficult. Johnathan was always a little overprotective of his son, much like her parents were with her. Maybe Clark being able to make his own decisions when it came to friends would be able to help him. Because while Johnathan insisted he take the truck back, and he was vocal about his opinion of Lex, he didn't seem intent on stopping Clark from pursuing the friendship that the billionaire had extended to the two of them.

Shaking it off, Harper climbed up into the passenger seat of the vehicle. "Dude, I can see the whole freakin world from up here!" she exclaimed, looking over to Clark. "Is this how you feel all the time?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. It pays to be tall, short stack."

"Careful what you say, Jolly Green. I might just make you give me a piggy back ride into school in the morning." she teased. Then she paused. "You know what, that actually sounds really fun; we're doing that."

He shook his head and laughed at her."You are so immature." he said.

"You love me and you know it."

He sighed. "Yeah, you got me there."

The ride was filled with mindless chatter about this and that, and partially with a comfortable silence. That's one of the things she liked about being around Clark. The two could go several days without saying a word to each other and then be able to have a five hour long conversation like that had just seen each other the day prior. Harper's train of thought was interrupted as they pulled up to the gate. A sign on the brick post read Luthor Manor. She raised an eyebrow. "This place won't be hard to find." she muttered.

Clark rolled down the window and pressed the buzzer on the intercom. They waited several seconds without anything happening, so he pushed it again. Harper frowned. "Normally rich people have butlers or something to take care of this sort of thing...right?" she asked.

Clark shrugged. "I dunno, I guess."

Harper shook her head as he pressed the buzzer again, her eyes settling on the gate. After another few minutes of no answer, Harper let out a frustrated huff. They both jumped at the sound of a loud creak. The gate slowly began to slide open, and to Harper's confusion, she found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. However, once it opened, she turned and gave Clark a confused look. He just shrugged it off and began to go down the driveway. She shook her head. One would think that someone with as much money as Lex would keep their gate in a better condition so that it didn't squeal constantly.

Clark parked the truck in front of the large stone staircase leading up to the grand double doors. Once he turned it off, he looked over at Harper. She just shrugged. "Now or never, tough guy." she said. They both got out of the truck, Clark running his fingers along the smooth metal surface of the door with a longing expression on his face. Shaking his head, he led the way up the stairs. He knocked on the door twice and pressed the buzzer to try and get someone's attention. Harper raised an eyebrow when he tried to open the door and it complied. Unlike the gate, it swung open silently, opening the way for Harper and Clark. The two of them stepped inside. Harper was immediately mesmerized by the decor and the sheer size of the place. While she turned in a circle, head raised to examine everything she could, Clark went in search of the man they had come to see. "Lex?" he called.

Harper was still lost in the intricate designs that the Luthor mansion sported, showing off the wealth and luxury in which the family lived. She jumped when she heard a loud thud. "Clark?!" she exclaimed, she took off jogging (much to the protest of her injured leg) down the hall looking for her friend. She skid around a corner and found him, Lex, and what she assumed was a fencing instructor. Lex looked at her with both eyebrows raised, as if surprised to see her. "Oh, hey." she said awkwardly, her fingers moving in a waving motion.

"Hello, Harper."

"Nice place you've got here." she said, glancing at the marble pillar beside her.

He snorted. "Sure. If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt."

She scoffed. "You kidding me? Haunting mansions is so cliche. You'll find me in an asylum." she mused. A small, almost unnoticeable grin crossed his features before Clark spoke.

"Its roomy." he said, looking around.

Lex moved past both of them and started down the hallway. Unsure of what to do, Harper followed, as did Clark. "This is the Luthor ancestral home; or so my father claims. He had it shipped over from Scotland stone by stone."

"I remember the trucks rolled through town for weeks." Clark responded as he continued to look around.

"Yeah, but no one ever moved in." Harper added. Lex paused in his steps and turned to look at the two friends. He was in the middle of the staircase staring down at them, who hadn't left the first floor yet.

"My father never had any intention of living here. He's never even stepped through the front door." he said. If Harper didn't know better, she would've said there were hints of bitterness and resentment in the man's voice. It briefly crossed her mind to wonder how old he was. He couldn't be much older than 21 or so by the looks of him. But she knew as well as anyone that looks could be deceiving.

"So why'd he ship it over? Seems like a waste of money to me." she muttered.

Lex gave her an amused smile. "Because he could. When you have as much money as my father, you look for excuses to spend it."

Clark shot her a warning glance, as if to tell her to keep her mouth shut. Harper had a habit of always speaking her mind and voicing her opinions. That was part of the reason she and Chloe got along so well. But she had an even worse habit of being overly blunt with her statements. She had gotten herself in trouble more than once with that mouth of hers, and Clark was a witness to just about every time. He silently begged her to behave in the presence of Lex. They followed him up the stairs and into a study of sorts. He stripped off his white jacket and tossed it onto a chair before going to tend to the fire that was roaring in the fireplace. Harper watched his graceful movements with a careful eye. Everything he did screamed comme il faut.

"How's the board working out for you?" he asked, directing his question to Harper.

She gave him a soft smile, which he returned upon hearing her answer. "Amazing. Thank you, Lex."

He turned his blue eyes to Clark. "How's the new ride?"

"Actually, thats why I'm here." Clark responded, reaching into his pocket to grab the keys. Lex threw a hand towel around his neck.

"What's the matter? You don't like it?" he asked, reaching for a bottle of water.

"Oh no, he loves it." Harper interjected.

Clark flashed a small glare in her direction. "Its not that. I just can't keep it."

Lex paused, his bottle raised halfway to his mouth. He had a perplexed look on his face, almost as if the thought of Clark saying no had never occurred to him. Then again, Harper thought, the man had probably never been told no his entire life. Lex put down his water bottle and walked over to Clark, his keen eyes looking the teenager up and down. He pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and crossed his arms. If Harper didn't know better, she would say that the gesture was almost threatening. The thought made her bristle behind her friend, standing to her full height, which wasn't at all intimidating. But her fists clenched at her sides, ready to jump to Clark's defense at a moment's notice. "Clark...you saved my life. Its the least I could do."

To Harper, it sounded like Lex honestly didn't know why Clark was rejecting the gift. Clark looked down, unable to meet Lex's eyes. Lex glanced over at Harper, who was still in a defensive stance, her arms now crossed. "Your father doesn't like me, does he?" he asked, his attention back on Clark. "And neither does yours." Clark opens his mouth to say something but Lex cut him off. "It's okay," he started. He ran a hand over his scalp and turned away from them. "You know, I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me." He looked in the mirror, examining himself before flicking his eyes to them once again.

Harper shrugged. "Personally, I don't mind it. It looks good on you." He smirked at her and she just about slapped a hand over her mouth. Did she really just say that? Clark let out a quiet groan and ran a hand through his hair. She felt her cheeks flush as he turned around to look at her more closely. Thankfully, before she could say anything else, Clark interjected.

"Its nothing personal. He's just not crazy about your dad."

Lex rolled his eyes. "Figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?" He nods once. "Understandable. What about you, Clark? Did you fall far from the tree?" When he failed to respond, Lex turns to her. "Harper? What about you?"

Not knowing what else to say or do, her sarcastic instincts kicked in and she said the first thing that popped into her head. "Well, my mom is a financial advisor and my dad is a realtor. I don't think either of them are happy about me pursuing a career as a stripper. But hey, I gotta put my talents to use somehow."

Lex stared at her for a moment, completely taken aback by her abrasiveness. But then, surprising them all, he started laughing. He gripped the towel around his neck and bent over slightly, the genuine, full blown laughter ringing out through the halls of the mansion. Clark and Harper glanced at each other. It took a second for Clark to get over his red faced embarrassment over his friend, but once he did, he joined Lex, quickly followed by Harper. The sounds of their laughter filled the eerily silent castle, lightening the dark mood that seemed to fall over the three of them. Once Lex got ahold of himself, he gave Harper his full attention.

"Thank you," he said. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

Harper grinned. "I'm sorry I wasn't around to do it sooner. But really, just go down to the high school and look around. That sight alone is enough to make someone laugh." she said.

"I knew there was a reason we were gonna get along." he said.

"We better go." Clark said, interrupting the two of them when he glanced down at his watch. "But thanks for the truck." He tossed the keys in Lex's general direction, and he reached out and caught them, almost lazily. Clark turned and just about pushed Harper out into the hallway. He didn't want to stick around long enough to see what kind of trouble her sarcasm could get them into.

"Clark." Lex called, making them both stop in their tracks to turn around and look at him. "Do you think a man can fly?"

Both Clark and Harper looked confused at his question. "Sure...in a plane." he responded.

Lex shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. I mean, soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you." He had an almost faraway look in his eyes as he talked about it, and Harper wondered where his head was.

"People can't fly, Lex." Clark said.

"I did." he responded. He turned away from the two and seemed to stare off into space. "After the accident, when my heart stopped, those were the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and for the first time, I didn't see a dead end." He turned back around to give the two of them a smirk. "Thanks to you two, I have a second chance."

Neither of them really knew what to say. So instead, he filled the silence. "We have a future guys. And I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship."

Harper nodded thoughtfully before tugging on Clark's sleeve. "Thanks, Lex. For everything." she said. He returned the nod and watched them leave, a coy smile playing across his lips. She figured he had something up his sleeve, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

She and Clark began to make their way back to the farmhouse. If Harper had been thinking, she would've drove Jonathan's blue ford over so that they wouldn't have to walk, especially when it was getting ready to rain. But as they walked, they both got lost in their respective thought processes. It was definitely going to take her a while to get used to Lex and his cynical views of life. He really did like to flaunt his wealth, which was something that was definitely going to get on her nerves. But, she figured if she could put up with Clark and his constant daydreaming about Lana, she could put up with Lex and his whining about his daddy issues. She noticed that while Lex appeared to be a strong and independently minded person, he had a lot of unresolved issues with his father. She figured a lot of that stemmed back to their wealth, but who was she to judge? Shaking her head, she decided to let it go and see where this budding friendship would go.

The next day, Chloe dragged Harper, Clark, and Pete into the Torch. Harper had somehow managed to convince Clark that it was a good idea to be up until five that morning, so she was practically dead on her feet. "Why exactly did you drag me down here?" she asked.

Chloe tapped her nail against the computer screen. "You know about all the guys that have ended up in the hospital this week, right? Well this guy right here. His name's Jeremy Creek. This is a picture of him twelve years ago. And this is a picture I took yesterday afternoon."

Harper frowned as she examined the pictures. "Are you sure this is the same guy?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's impossible. He'd be like 26 today." Clark said. "It must just be a kid that looks like him."

"And you think he's somehow involved in what's been going on here?" Harper added, even more confused. "I knew I should've brought more coffee." she muttered, looking down at her empty cup.

"My money was on the evil twin theory, until we checked missing persons reports." Pete said.

Chloe shoved a report at the other two. "Jeremy disappeared from the state infirmary a few days ago where he'd been in a coma for twelve years. they say he suffered from a massive electrolyte imbalance."

Harper frowned. "That would explain why he hasn't aged a day..." she muttered. She looked at her other two friends who were known for being a little out there with their theories. "So you're telling me he just woke up? That's almost impossible."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. But there was a huge electrical storm that knocked out the generator. When the lights came back on, he was gone."

"All that electricity must've charged him up like a Duracell." Pete said, shaking his head quietly.

"So now he's back in Smallville beating up former jocks and putting them into comas. Because that makes sense." Clark added. "Why?"

"Because twelve years ago today, he was chose to be the scarecrow." Pete explained.

Chloe showed him another newspaper clipping. "Comatose boy found in field after meteor strikes." Clark read aloud.

"The meteors must've done something to his body." Chloe said excitedly.

"No, this can't be right..." Clark said in a disbelieving voice.

Harper shook her head. "Should we show him?" she asked.

"You're gonna have to." Pete said. The three of them led Clark to a different room, shutting the door behind them once inside. Pete flipped on the light and Clark stared at the wall in amazement. "It started out as a scrapbook and just...sort of...mutated." Harper said.

"What is it?" Clark asked.

"We call it the Wall of Weird." Chloe said. "Its every strange, bizarre, and weird thing thats happened in Smallville since the meteors hit." she explained. "Thats when the town went schizo." Clark walked closer and studied the wall. "So, what do you think?"

"How come you guys didn't tell me about this?" he asked, still seeming to be mesmerized by the wall.

Harper rolled her eyes. "Right, like we tell you every little thing we do in our lives." she said. Clark's eyes settled on a specific article and he mumbled something before running out of the room. The three friends shared a look before Harper sighed. "I'll go get him." She ran after Clark, finding him outside the school. She saw Whitney reach for Clark and her friend turned around with a frustrated expression. She groaned. Things were going to get ugly soon. When she reached them, she heard the tail end of the conversation.

"Congratulations, Clark. You're this year's scarecrow!"

Harper scowled and made her way down towards them. She planted herself in the middle of the boys. She shoved Whitney backwards, a scowl on her face. "Back off, man." she said. "I told you my friends were off limits." she snapped.

"Harper, you better move. This doesn't have anything to do with you, and I would hate to find you out in the middle of the field too." Whitney snapped back, grabbing her by the shoulder and pushing her out of the way. She hissed in pain when her injured leg collided with one of the other guys. Clark felt his blood begin to boil.

"Dont touch her!" he snarled. He lunged forward and tried to tackle Whitney, who easily dodged him and threw him to the ground.

"What's going on between you and Lana?!" he hissed.

"WHITNEY!" Harper yelled. She made a move towards her friend but was grabbed from behind by one of the jocks. She threw her weight backwards and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it was no use. The football player was too big for her. She lowered her head and clamped her teeth down on his hand, to which he yelled in pain.

"Let me go!" she yelled, still squirming in his grasp.

Whitney glanced back at them. "Keep her quiet." Before Harper could make any more protests, a white cloth was clamped over her mouth. She let out a muffled scream and slowly her vision began to grow black.


	4. Learn To Trust - Bad Suns

Harper's eyes snap open and she gasped. Nothing but cold flooded her senses. Her body began to shake as she looked around, trying to figure out what happened. She had to blink several times for her vision to clear. She frowned as she realized she was in a field. She made a move to stand but found she was restricted in her movements. Breathing hard, she turned her head. Ropes were around her arms, tying her to some sort of post. She looked down and her eyes widened as she realized she had been stripped down to her black sports bra and matching black boy shorts. She screamed and began to thrash. The last thing she remembered was Whitney and Clark fighting. So how did she end up here? She abruptly stopped her movements when realization dawned on her. She looked down again and saw a large S spray painted on her chest and stomach. She tried hard not to think about what could've happened. Instead, she yelped when she felt something move against her arm.

"Harper?"

Relief flooded her when she recognized the voice. "Clark!" she sobbed. Tears streamed freely down her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still groggy. Whatever Whitney had used to knock him out, chloroform or his fist, it did a number on Clark. Harper had a headache, but other than that, she appeared unharmed. She knew Whitney could be a douche, especially when it came to his pranks, but she didn't think he would let his friends cross a certain line. And the fact that she didn't feel any sort of pain calmed her down in the slightest.

"I think so." she said. "I'm just cold." Her teeth chattering proved her point. She never realized it could be so cold in August. "You?"

"Same." he muttered. "What did they do to you?"

She took a deep breath. "Same thing they did to you."

A little more strength filled his voice and she felt the ropes tighten around her as his muscles tensed. "I'm gonna kill him." he snarled. "Did..did they...?"

"I don't think so." she said quietly. "I don't think Whitney would let them do that." At her reassurance that she was fine, the tightness of the ropes loosened. "We need to get down." she said. Her previous observations showed that they had been tied in three places, making it near impossible for them to cut themselves loose.

"It never changes." a quiet voice said.

"Who's there?!" Harper demanded, trying to turn her head around to see. Clark's heavy breathing was her only response.

"Help us..." Clark breathed.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Clark raised his head in the slightest, his eyes sliding over the person that had joined them. "You're...you're Jeremy..."

"I thought if I punished them, it would stop. But it never stops."

Harper felt the ropes strain and guessed that Clark was leaning forwards. "Wait!" she shouted. "Where are you going?!"

"The homecoming dance. I never made it to mine." he responded. Harper couldn't see, but his voice sounded like he viewed himself as high and mighty.

"Get us down!" Clark pleaded, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"No, you'll be safer here."

She could hear his footsteps rushing through the cornfield. She pulled against the ropes and let out another scream. "Somebody help us!"

"Harper..." Clark said. She stopped thrashing when she realized she had been tightening the ropes once again. Whoever had tied them did a bang up job; neither of them could move without constricting the other. Her head whipped around when she heard more footsteps coming towards them. She squinted as a flashlight panned over them.

"Clark?"

His head drooping forward, Clark managed to lift it enough to see who was there.

"Lex?!"

"Harper? Is that you?" He moved closer and moved the flashlight over their bodies. "Aw, jeez." he muttered. He fingers made quick work of the knots, and both teenagers fell to the ground on their hand and knees. "Who did this to you?" he demanded, placing a hand on Clark's back to help him up. Once he saw that Clark was okay, he moved to Harper. It took her a second to reach a kneeling position, and Lex was beside her in a moment. She heard him curse under his breath as he draped his leather jacket over her.

"It doesn't matter." Clark muttered. He looked around for a pile of clothes, growling when he didn't see one.

Lex, still beside Harper with an arm around her, called out to him in confusion. "You need to see a doctor, Clark!"

"I'll be fine. Take care of Harper." And without another word, he took off running through the cornfield.

"At least let me give you a ride!" he exclaimed. When Clark didn't respond, Lex shook his head and gently helped Harper to her feet. She had put her arms through the holes in the jacket and was already buttoning it up with shaking fingers. "Let me." he said softly. He reached up and she dropped her hands, allowing him to finish for her. While he did, he closely examined her body, looking for any damage. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm f-fine." she said, her teeth still chattering. "But m-my leg h-hurts."

Lex knelt back down and moved the jacket out of the way so he could look at the bandages. They were soaked through with red and he growled. "Can you walk?" he asked gently. Something green caught his eye and he looked in the direction Clark had taken. Frowning, he leaned down and picked up the shining green rock. Turns out, it was a necklace. He stuck it in his pocket and turned his attention back to Harper.

She clenched her jaw and took a step, hissing in pain and almost falling over when she put her weight on her injured leg. He caught her before she fell, his hands grasping her arms to keep her upright. "I'm g-gonna k-kill them." she hissed.

Lex clenched and unclenched his jaw as he scooped her up bridal style and headed over to his car. "I think there's gonna be a line." he said. He gently set her down in the passenger seat, feeling the chilled breeze cut through his light black shirt. The thought of someone leaving Harper, or Clark, or anyone for that matter, outside in nothing but their underwear, tied to a post no less, made his blood boil. Teenagers could be so petty. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number quickly. "Yeah, Grant, I need you at the mansion in an hour." With that, he hung up and got in the car, speeding towards the highway. He turned on the heat when he glanced at Harper, seeing her shaking in the seat next to him.

They reached the mansion in no time, and once again, Lex picked her up in his arms before going inside. Her body was vibrating against his, making him scowl again. Whoever did this was going to have quite a few people to answer to. His attention was drawn when they reached the stairs. He frowned as he realized he hadn't sorted out any of the guest bedrooms yet. He sighed as he stepped into his own before walking into the attached bathroom. He set her on the edge of the tub and knelt down in front of her. "There's a doctor on the way. I want you to take a hot bath, and I'll get you some warm clothes."

She nodded and looked down at the floor. "I-I'm s-sorry to be a b-bother." she said, not willing to meet his eyes.

"Harper, you're not a bother." he said, placing a hand on her arm. Her ice blue eyes, which were normally full of spunk and fire, had dulled considerably. "Trust me. I'll make sure that you're taken care of."

With tears in her eyes, she slid forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Surprised, it took him a minute to respond. But when he felt her body shaking once again, this time from crying, he hugged her back, not even caring at the moment that her tears were soaking through his shirt. "Its okay. You're safe now." he said.

"Thank you." she said quietly. She released him and recomposed herself, wiping the tears from her eyes. Lex gave her a soft smile.

"I'll leave the clothes on the bed. If you need anything, just shout. I'll be downstairs."

She nodded. He stood and left the room, closing the door behind him. Harper let out a broken sigh before turning to the tub. She turned the water on, letting it run as hot as she could stand it. She unbuttoned the leather coat that Lex had given her and she stood, hobbling to the full length mirror to her right. The bright red S had pretty much ruined her undergarments, which she frowned at. But the more she stared at it, the angrier she got. Whitney could go pretty far when it came to his pranks and revenge. But this? This was over the line and something completely different. She clenched her fist at her side and a sudden cracking made her jump. Harper looked up at the mirror, her eyes widening when she saw the spider web cracks running the length of it. She looked down in disbelief at her hands. Did she do that? Looking back up at the mirror, she almost scoffed at herself. "Get it together, Scott." she muttered.

She turned and went back to the bathtub, leaving the remainder of her clothes on the floor next to the towel he had left her. A hiss found its way through her clenched teeth as she eased herself down into the hot water. Her leg screamed in pain and she was pretty sure she had torn the stitches out again. Bruises were forming on her arms and across her stomach. The longer she sat there, the less tense she became. She sighed quietly as the heat relaxed her aching muscles and soothed her fragile nerves. She briefly wondered how she was going to explain this to her parents. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it would be better not to tell them. She wasn't one for lying or keeping things from her parents. She was always open with them about everything. But she didn't quite know how to explain that she had basically been kidnapped, stripped, and strung up in a field for a school prank. She also wondered how she would explain Clark running off and leaving her in the care of Lex, who took her to his mansion, had a doctor come in to look her over, and provide a place for her to stay for the night. Her parents already weren't too keen on her developing a friendship with the billionaire. She didn't want to do anything to make waves.

After about another 20 minutes, she managed to pull herself free of the still warm water. She would have to come up with some sort of excuse as to why she hadn't been home since the end of school. She cursed when she realized her bag was still in her locker, which contained her phone. She would have to ask Lex if she could use his. She figured Clark would go along with what she had in mind, but they would both be dead if either of their parents found out. She quickly dried herself off and redressed before beginning to towel dry her hair. She cautiously stepped out of the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom, which she assumed belonged to Lex. The lavish decor and large bed surely didn't sit in a guest room. True to his word, he had left her some clothes on the bed. She put on the baggy sweat pants and tied the string to keep them from falling off her hips. Then she reached for the shirt, pulling it over her head. It was quite roomy for her, which meant extra warmth. The sleeves were a little long, so she wrapped the ends around her hands before carefully walking to the door. She groaned when she realized she was on the second floor.

"I was just coming to check on you."

She turned when she heard his voice. He was coming up the stairs towards her. He frowned when he saw her favoring her left leg. "Are you okay?"

Harper nodded. "Yeah. Thank you, Lex." she said, finally getting the courage to look him in the eyes. "Oh, by the way, I just about fell on my face like the graceful bird I am and cracked your mirror in the process. I'm sorry."

He continued approaching her, stopping only when he was right in front of her. "I'm not worried about it. But, Harper, be honest with me. Who did this to you?"

She looked down again. "The football players. Every year before homecoming, they pick a freshman to be their 'scarecrow'. They strip him down to his underwear and tie him up in Riley field like a scarecrow."

He frowned. "But you're not a freshman. And you're a girl."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I hadn't noticed before. Thanks for clearing that up, Lex." she said.

"Harper, I'm serious. Why were you out there?"

"Whitney, the quarterback of the team, had a beef with Clark. I told him my friends were off limits. He agreed at first. But I guess now he thinks there's something going on between Clark and his girlfriend, Lana. I went out to break up a fight between Clark and Whitney. Guess I made the wrong move. One of the other jocks was holding me back while Whitney tried to beat the crap outta Clark. The next thing I knew, I was in the field with Clark." she explained.

"So he put you out there...because you tried to break up a fight?!" Lex asked, his voice getting dangerously low.

"Whitney never did know when to stop." she muttered, looking down again. "But if he thinks he can get away with that, then he's got another thing coming."

Lex just about growled. "I'm calling the police."

Panic flooded through her. "No, Lex, please don't do that!"

"Why not? Harper, he assaulted you. Who knows what he and his goons could've done to you while you were unconscious!" he exclaimed.

"He might be a jerk, but I do know him. He would never let anything like that happen. It was a stupid prank and a really jacked up thing to do, but trust me, this isn't the end of it. I'll take care of Whitney myself." she said, trying to calm him down. "I have a knack for making people wish they hadn't messed with me."

His keen eyes searched hers. He saw determination and fire coming back, so he sighed and backed off. "Fine. But if anything like this ever happens again-"

"Trust me, it won't."

"But if it does, you let me know. Got it? If there's a next time, I don't care how much you plead, I'm getting the police involved." he said. He reached out and brushed his fingers over her cheek, where a bruise was forming. Then he sighed. "The doctor is here. Can you make it downstairs?"

She looked hesitantly towards the stairs. She probably could, but it would hurt like heck. Sensing her hesitation, he picked her up again. She yelped in surprise. "Lex, put me down!" she exclaimed. "I can walk, I'm fine."

He paused in his steps and gave her a skeptical look. "You could barely hold yourself up when you got here. I seriously doubt your leg could handle stairs."

She grumbled under her breath but put her arms around his shoulders as he made his way downstairs. He smirked triumphantly when he set her down on a couch. "In here, doc!" he called. He moved away as another man stepped in. Harper eyed him carefully, deciding that he looked like he knew what he was doing.

"My name is Grant." he said, giving her a warm smile.

"I'm Harper." she said quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Harper. Now, would you mind telling me what happened?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her.

She flashed a glance at Lex, who gave her a subtle bod. She assumed that whatever happened in this room would stay there. "It was a dumb prank." she muttered. "I ended up half naked in a field. And I...might've been...tied to a post..."

Grant raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly did you end up out there?"

She shrugged. "I don't remember. I was knocked out with some Chloroform I think."

Lex raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You didn't tell me that."

"What else?" Grant asked, silencing anything else Lex was about to say.

"A few days ago, there was an accident. My leg got beat up pretty bad. I think I tore the stitches out." she said.

"Well, let's have a look." He waited patiently as she rolled her isn't leg up, revealing the bloodstained bandages. He carefully cut them away and she winced as the padding stuck to her leg. He raised an eyebrow at the scrapes and the one large cut, briefly wondering what had caused that. "Yeah, you've torn the stitches pretty good. Looks like it might be infected too."

Harper dropped her head back with a groan. That was something she didn't want to hear.

"But its nothing I can't fix."

Ten minutes later and with sore teeth from clenching her jaw so hard, her leg had been stitched back up and rebandaged. He also wanted to check over her other bruises to make sure nothing was broken, but she came away with a fairly clean bill of health. "Thank you." she said.

He gave her a smile. "Anytime, miss Harper. But, please try to avoid any more late night excursions in a field."

She grinned. "I'll do my best, boss."

He chuckled. "Good. Well, its getting late. I'll bid the two of you goodnight."

Lex showed him out while Harper pushed herself up into a better position. She ran a hand through her hair, wondering how she got herself into this mess. "Hey Lex?" she called.

"Yeah?"

"Can you take me to Clark's?"

He appeared from around the corner. "You're not in any condition to go anywhere. I would rather you stay here." he said.

She frowned. "Then can I use your phone?"

He nodded and passed it to her. She dialed Clark's cell phone, which he rarely used. He answered after a few rings.

" _Hello?"_

"Clark! Are you okay? You kinda took off in a hurry earlier." she said.

_"Harper! Yeah, I'm okay. Jeremy was about to try to take down the dance. I stopped him before it happened."_

She blinked in surprise. The last time she had seen him, he could barely stand on his own two feet. So how had he managed to take down Jeremy? "Well, I'm glad you're okay."

He chuckled. _"Yeah, me too. And I also gave Whitney a bit of payback of my own. He's still fair game to you, though."_

"Darn right he is." she snapped. "Now, are your parents home?"

_"No, not at the moment. Why?"_

"I'm staying at Lex's tonight. He had a doctor come over and stitch up my leg, but I'm not supposed to move very much. If my parents ask, I'm staying at your house. And as far as your parents know, I'm upstairs chillin in your room."

She could picture his frown. _"Crap, Harper, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone. God, I feel stupid. Are you okay? Do I need to come get you?"_

"I'm fine, Clark. Just cover for me, okay?"

He sighed. _"Okay. But I'm picking you up in the morning. If you're not at school, people are gonna wonder what's up."_

"Deal. Thanks, Clark."

_"You got it."_

While she had been on the phone, Lex had gotten up to go somewhere else. She made another quick call to her mother to let her know she wouldn't be home, but that she was fine and with Clark. She hated lying to her parents, but until she sorted this out, its what she had to do. Lex returned a moment later, carrying a granola bar and a water for her and a beer for himself. She took it gladly. She hadn't eaten since lunch, and it was now about eleven at night. She raised an eyebrow as he took the cap off the bottle and took a big swig. "I pictured you as more of a scotch and whiskey guy."

He grinned. "Then you guessed correctly. But every now and then I have one of these."

Taking another bite of her granola bar, she leaned forward and snatched the bottle from his hand, taking a big drink of her own. His smile turned into a frown and he opened his mouth to protest. But a sharp glare from her cut him off. "After everything I've been through, I think I deserve a drink." she said, handing it back after another swig.

He nodded. "Fair enough."

"So...what's your favorite color?" she asked.

He snorted. "Going down to the real basics, are we?"

"Hey, I don't hardly know anything about you and yet here I am, in your house, well, castle, staying the night after you rescued me from a field. I think a few basics are in order."

Lex chuckled. "Good point. Green. You?"

"Red. But not bright red, more like a deep, intense maroon." she responded. She opened her water bottle and washed down the rest of the granola bar. "Your turn."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Wolf. Or any sort of dog, really. I had a chocolate lab for most of my childhood, but we had to put her down about a year ago. What about you?"

He nodded. "Amy type of dog. Except for the small, annoying ones."

She snickered. "Yeah, just about any small breed is annoying. Okay, you already know how old I am. But what about you?"

"Twenty two."

Their questions went back and forth for about an hour before they started getting to the deeper things. Between the two of them, they had also gone through two bottles of beer, sharing the drinks. Lex wasn't usually an advocate of drinking laws, and as long as they kept it between themselves, he wouldn't tell anyone what they had gotten up to in the late hours of the night. "Greatest fear?" Lex asked.

Harper pursed her lips, thinking it over. "Dying without doing everything I wanted to do. If I ever have a relapse, it would kill my parents." she chuckled. "Man, you wouldn't believe the sort of things I had to do to convince them to let me play sports."

He frowned. "Relapse? What do you mean?"

"When I was six, I had a brain tumor. Lots of chemo and several doctors later and I have a clean bill of health. But they told me I could have a relapse at any time. I'm supposed to be really careful with whatever physical activities, like sports, that I do. Nothing too strenuous, ya know?"

He frowned. "Harper-"

She scowled. "No. I don't want your pity. Got it? I'm fine. I've been cancer free for almost twelve years."

He smiled. "I was just gonna say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And you, Harper, are one of the strongest people I know."

She returned the smile and stifled a yawn. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat." she said.

He nodded and put his drink down. "You've had a rough day. I'm sorry I don't have any guest rooms ready yet. You can sleep in my bed. I'll take the couch."

She frowned. "No, Lex-"

"Don't argue with me, Harper. You're the one that needs the more rest." he said sternly. She sighed but nodded. She wondered how she was ever going to repay him for this. She stood, wincing slightly as she did.

"Those pain killers are doing a good job." she muttered. "Probably shouldn't have drank that much, though."

He chuckled as she wobbled slightly. He had made sure she wasn't getting drunk, but the little alcohol she had, combined with the pain killers Grant had given her, was going to give her a splitting headache in the morning. He moved to pick her up once again, but she shook her head fervently. "Nonononono!" she exclaimed, trying to back away.

He just rolled his eyes and ignored her protests and scooped her up.

"Lex!" she whined. "I'm fine!"

He chuckled. "Sure you are. But doc said not to overdo it. In the morning, you can walk over the house and go up and down as many stairs as you like. But for now? Just shut up and let me carry you."

She let out an exasperated sigh and tightened her hold on the billionaire. He walked them both upstairs and back into his bedroom. He set her down and ruffled her hair, to which she scowled, only making him laugh. "Holler if you need anything, half pint. I'll be downstairs."

She nodded and he left the room, closing the door behind him. She sighed as she pulled the blankets back and made herself comfortable. His blankets smelled like a mix of spices and scotch, much like his cologne. Her thoughts wandered back to her parents and how she was going to explain this to them, if she even decided to try to do so. They would be furious at Whitney and his friends, and they most definitely wouldn't be happy about Lex Luthor having a minor in his bed. But he wasn't even anywhere near her, so she didn't see the big deal. She realized if she even tried explaining any of this, she would be stuck in the house the rest of her life. And she didn't want to have to deal with that. She briefly thought about what would happen to Lex if anyone found out about this, and she hoped he wouldn't face any lasting consequences.

The next morning, Harper woke to sunlight streaming in through the window. She groaned as she rolled over and tried to block it out. But then she realized where she was, and she bolted upright. She glanced down and saw that she was still wearing the clothes that Lex had given her the night before. She sighed and ran a hand through her somewhat tangled hair. The small alarm clock beside the bed read 7:03. She had just enough time to make herself presentable before Clark came to get her. She stood and headed into the bathroom, pausing when she saw the cracked mirror. She shook her head and raked her fingers through her hair before putting it up into a messy bun. She ran cold water and splashed it on her face to wake herself up. After she was sure she looked halfway decent, she tied the large shirt in a knot at her waist, making it fit a little better. She made her way downstairs, moving a little easier than she had the night before. Her leg was still sore, but not near as bad as it had been. "Lex?" she called, wrapping her arms around her waist as she tried to figure out where he was.

"In the kitchen!" he shouted back. She frowned and followed the sound of his voice, hoping she wasn't going to get herself lost in this maze. After a couple wrong turns, she found him standing at the fridge, looking like he was searching for something. He smiled at her when he noticed her come in. "Morning."

A sleepy smile was the response he got. "Morning." she muttered.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well, considering I was in a stranger's bed." she responded with some good natured teasing. "Thank you, Lex. I don't know if I can ever say that enough."

"You already have, half pint. Now, are you hungry?"

"Half pint?" she asked. "Boy, you better be careful. I am the queen of nicknames. And I can make yours as bad or as good as I want. And you're gonna have to live with it."

He chuckled. "Take your best shot." She smiled as he set a plate of pancakes and sausage down on the bar in front of her. "But first, eat. Clark should be here any time. He called to let me know he was on his way. I was actually wondering if you had planned on getting up this morning."

She shrugged. "The bed was so nice and warm, I honestly wanted to stay there."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it has that effect. How are you this morning?"

She took a bite before answering. "Better. I have a small headache, but I figured that was normal."

He nodded. "Good. Call me after school. I want to make sure you get home okay. Or should I just come get you myself?" Though she thought he was joking at first, she realized he was dead serious.

"Thanks. But I'll be okay. Clark will walk me home. I'll call you when I get there." she said. She felt as if she had already imposed enough.

He frowned. "Not that I don't trust Clark, but he didn't seem so keen on staying to help you last night." he said. "I just want to make sure you're going to be safe."

She bit her lip. Clark had been doing that a lot lately; disappearing for hours on end with no word as to what he was doing or if he was okay. And half the time he disappeared was when he was with Chloe, Pete, or Harper. "He has a tendency to do that..." she started slowly. "But he's there when it counts."

Lex sighed. "If you're sure."

"I am."

A loud banging caught their attention. "I'll be right back." he said. He left Harper to finish her breakfast in peace. He reappeared a few moments later with Clark at his side. When he saw her, Clark rushed over and wrapped his arms around his best friend, almost lifting her off her seat. She chuckled as she patted his shoulder with her somewhat free hand. "Okay, Rock, you can put me down now."

He released her a moment later and examined her. "Are you okay?"

"Clark, I'm fine." she insisted. She glanced at the time and realized they would be running late. "Lex, thank you so much, again. For everything." She surprised him by going over and giving him a hug. A soft smile broke his hard features as he returned the gentle embrace.

"You're welcome. If you need anything, call me." he said, pushing her back by the shoulders. She nodded and followed Clark out to the truck.

"I brought a pair of my old converse for you. That's all I could find. And I couldn't necessarily stop by your house to grab some clothes. Otherwise your mom would be a little suspicious."

She pulled herself up into the vehicle. "This is perfect. Thank you. Did your parents buy it?"

He nodded. "They wondered where you were this morning, so I told them you left early to go for a run. They seemed satisfied after that."

She sighed in relief. "Thanks for covering for me." she said. The rest of their ride was spent in silence. They reached the school rather quickly, and Harper got out of the truck immediately, going in search of her next victim. Clark called after her to wait, but she ignored him and stalked towards the football field, where she knew he would be training. Whitney was standing around and talking to the other players, Pete included, laughing and having a good time. Pushing the sleeves of Lex's shirt up, she stalked over to him. "Hey! Whitney!" she snarled. All four boys stopped when they heard her angry voice coming towards them. They cleared a path for her, Pete the only one who tried to stop her.

"Harper-"

She ignored him and stepped up to Whitney, who wore a guilty expression when he saw the bruise on her cheek. She clenched her fist and without warning, sent it flying into his jaw. He stumbled backwards and tripped, falling onto his rear in the mud. She knelt down beside him, fire in her eyes as she stared him down. "That's for last night, for both of us. You ever try to pull something like that again, on any of us, and you're dead. Got it?"

He nodded silently, looking at the ground in shame. The other guys stood back in shock as Harper stood, flashed them a glare, and walked back in the direction of the school.


	5. Back to Me - Of Mice and Men

That afternoon as the closing bell rang, Harper heard someone calling out to her. She paused in her steps, not even turning when she heard his voice. "Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now-"

She scoffed. "You got that right. What do you want?"

"I just want to say...I'm sorry. Harper, I'm sorry for everything. I screwed up really bad, and I know that. I deserved everything you gave me, and a lot more."

She whirled around, her eyes blazing in anger. "You know what, Whitney? Just be glad you got off with a good hit to the jaw. You have no idea what Clark wanted to do to you. Do you realize that what you and your friends did to me could be considered sexual assault? But because I know you and I know you wouldn't ever do anything like that, I'm keeping this whole incident to myself. And Clark is too. Next time, think before you decide to bulk some bullcrap like this again." she hissed.

Whitney looked more than a little ashamed as he stood there and allowed Harper to raz him for what he had done. "You're right." he said quietly after she had finished. "I am so sorry, Harper. I know I crossed a line and I don't know if I can come back from it. But I seriously want you to know how sorry I am."

She stood with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed as she examined him. "Thank you. Now, before I do something while I'm angry that I know I'll probably regret later, its best if you leave me alone." He nodded and quickly took off. He left her standing on the sidewalk, a glare still plastered on her face. Pete caught up with her a few minutes later.

"Harper?" he asked tentatively.

She turned a smile on him, her anger subsiding. "Hey, Pete."

"Hey. So...what was up with you and Whitney this morning?"

She shrugged. "Nothing important. Something just got a little out of hand between us."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Right. And what the heck are you wearing? This isn't exactly your style, H."

She glanced down at her attire, realizing that's probably why she had received some odd looks all day. "Oh, this. I stayed over at Clark's last night. This is just some of his old stuff because my lazy butt didn't want to have to get up and go home for clothes."

Pete laughed. "Sounds like you. We missed you last night. Where were you?"

She made a face. "You know how much I hate dances." she muttered. "So Clark and I decided to have a pizza night at his place. Watched a few old movies, that sort of thing." she said. The two of them began walking in the direction of her house, knowing the other two would catch up eventually. "How was it? The dance I mean."

Pete shrugged. "Boring, as usual. But hey, I got to go with Chloe, so I guess it wasn't all bad."

She laughed. "Yeah, Chloe can make just about everything fun. I'm glad you guys had a good time." As the day had worn on, the pain in her leg had caught up to her, and she was fighting a limp. Pete noticed this and commented on it. She shrugged off his concern easily. "I was being stupid and fell off my board yesterday going down a hill. Tore my stitches. But I'm all patched up again. Could use some more pain meds, though."

It wasn't long before Clark and Chloe joined them, sitting in the cab of Jonathan's truck. "Need a ride?" Chloe asked, rolling down her window.

"Yes, please." Harper said. She hoisted herself up into the bed, knowing there wasn't enough room in the cab for all of them. She let out a grateful groan as she took the weight off her leg and stretched it out. "Just drop me off at home, Clark." she said. With the wind whipping around them, she pulled the sleeves down and twisted them around her hands, sighing contentedly as she snuggled down into the oversized shirt. Pete watched her with an amused smile.

"Looks like someone's happy." he commented.

Her grin was hidden by the neck of the shirt, but she nodded happily. If she was being completely honest with herself, she was going to be reluctant to give the clothes back to Lex. They were large and comfortable, something she enjoyed. Most of the hoodies she owned were Clark and Pete's old ones, ones that they had grown out of a long time ago. But they were the perfect size of large for her. But she also knew that it would be a little strange of her to keep a man's clothes that she hadn't known for even a week. He would probably appreciate her returning them.

It wasn't long before Clark pulled up in front of her house. She jumped out of the truck, landed with her weight on her uninjured leg. Pete handed her all of her items. "See ya, H. Don't overdo it with that leg of yours."

She shrugged. "Eh, you know me." she said with a smile. "Thanks guys! I'll see you later." She turned and walked into the house, sighing when the familiarity of it all hit her. "Good to be home." she muttered.

"Harper? Is that you?"

"Yeah, mom! In the kitchen." she called, heading towards the fridge. She grabbed an apple and washed it, hearing her mother step into the room.

"What are you wearing?" her mother asked with a raised eyebrow.

She chuckled. "Yeah, last night was kind of last minute. I didn't really have time to come home and grab a bunch of clothes. These are Clark's." she explained.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Maybe one of these days, you'll learn." she said. She ruffled her daughter's already messy hair, to which Harper whined. "What do you want for dinner?"

Harper shrugged. "I don't care. Spaghetti? It's easy enough." She took a big bite of her apple before moving towards the stairs. "I guess disappearing for a day means a ton of homework to catch up on." she muttered. "I'm gonna get started. Holler if you need me." she said. As she began the somewhat painful trek up the stairs, her mother noticed her limp.

"Harper, what happened?" she asked, concern taking over immediately.

She winced as she went up another stair, both from the pain in her leg and from bring caught. "I fell off my board yesterday going down a hill. I ripped a couple stitches. But Clark drove me to town last night and I got it fixed."

Sarah crossed her arms. "And you didn't think to mention that to me when we talked last night?"

Harper bit back a groan. Instead, she hobbled back down the stairs and gave her mother a hug. "I'm sorry, mom. I just didn't want you to worry. I know how you and dad can get. But I'm okay. I promise."

Sarah sighed while hugging her daughter. "You sure?"

Harper giggled. "Yes, mom. I promise I'm fine. I need to go get all of this stupid work. Unless you wanna take a break from your moving numbers around and help me figure out what chemical reactions can lower a pH level-"

Sarah shook her head. "Nope! You know I'm no good with science an chemistry. Have fun with that, sweetheart."

Harper laughed. "Sure thing, mom." She turned and made her way back up to her room. She closed the door behind her before dropping onto the bed with a sigh. She fished out her phone from her bag, thankful that there was still some battery left. She looked at the scribbled numbers on her hand and dialed them while looking for her chemistry and trigonometry books. She put the phone to her ear and moved to her desk so she could spread out.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Lex." she said absent-mindedly while looking for a pencil. "You told me to call when I got home."

_"Thank you, Harper. I was beginning to wonder whether or not I needed to storm the school in search of you."_

She rolled her eyes. "You would cause quite the commotion if you did that."

 _"True,"_ he conceded. _"Did anyone cause you any problems today?"_

"Nah, not really. But my outfit did draw a few eyes. Not my usual style." she chuckled. "And Whitney had a nice wakeup call this morning."

 _"The quarterback?"_ he growled.

"Yeah. I decked him. Right in the jaw. Nice uppercut if I do say so myself. Put him flat on his butt. And he's sporting a nice bruise too." she said with a satisfied smile.

He chuckled _. "I'm sure it was an amazing punch."_

"Darn right. Surprised all the other jocks."

_"I'm sure you did. I bet they didn't expect that to come from such a small-"_

"Watch it."

 _"-firecracker."_ he amended. _"Speaking of your outfit, you can keep it if you want."_

She raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked, pausing in her writing.

_"When I saw Clark this morning, one of the first things he said was, 'You're never getting those clothes back; you know that, right?' And honestly, I don't care."_

"I'll have the both of you know that I was planning on bringing them by tomorrow afternoon, all clean and folded too." she said indignantly. "But just for that, I think I will keep them."

He chuckled. _"It's good to hear you've got your spirit back."_

"Yeah, me too." she said. She had to double check her work on a question and she glared in frustration. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have chem and trig homework to do. So I'll talk to you later."

_"Hey Harper?"_

"Yeah?"

_"I'm glad you're okay."_

"Thanks, Lex. I'll see you later."

_"Bye, half pint."_

She hung up the phone and smiled softly. Though she was reluctant to admit it, she and Lex had bonded quite a bit last night. Or at least, she thought so. She had said things that she normally wouldn't have, but she partially blamed the alcohol. She realized the other half of it was that he was just so easy to talk to. He listened to what she had to say and didn't laugh at her when she expressed some of her feelings. Instead, he returned the favor, and opened up to her slightly. She shook her head to clear it and tried to focus back on her homework. It took her about an hour, but she managed to get it all done. She had some time to kill before she needed to help out with dinner and she didn't feel like going anywhere. She took out the sloppy bun she had done that morning and decided to take a shower. Heading into the bathroom that was next door, she started stripping the clothes that Lex had given her. As she tugged the shirt off, she caught the lingering scent of scotch and cinnamon. She frowned as she realized no one else had caught on. Or if they had, they didn't say anything.

She shrugged it off and went about her routine. Another half hour later and she was done. But as she stood in front of the full length mirror, running her hands through her wait hair, she frowned. The bruised on her arms were becoming rather noticeable and if she didn't do something about them people were going to start asking questions. She would have to wear longer sleeves until they went away or try to cover them with makeup. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about what happened. She wasn't afraid or ashamed to admit that she had been terrified. Whatever they had done to Clark really knocked him around, but he seemed okay now. She had a newfound respect for the chilly evenings and she was fairly sure she wasn't going to take her jackets for granted again. Being tied to the post with Clark, unable to do anything about their situation, made her feel vulnerable and afraid. Anyone could've come along in that field and basically done what they pleased. If Lex hadn't found them, she was sure they would probably still be out there.

Harper could handle a lot of physical and emotional pain. She had a coping mechanism that made her almost indifferent to whatever was causing the problem. She could put on a brave face and fake a smile and no one, not even her parents, would know the difference. But she didn't know if she could do that this time. This was more than a simple prank. She felt violated and exposed. And while Whitney had apologized profusely and she knew it was genuine, she was going to have a hard time getting over this one. The damage he did was going to leave a nasty scar, and while she was eventually going to forgive, it was going to take a little more time to forget. She reached up and angrily wiped the tears from her eyes, almost scoffing at herself. She was an emotional person, she let them guide her decisions most of the time, but she hated showing it. There was an extremely short list of people that she would ever even consider allowing to see her like this. But as she raised her hand to her face, she jumped because of a loud crack that pierced the air.

Her eyes widened when she saw the other two light bulbs explode. She stumbled backwards, flashing back to what happened the previous night in Lex's bathroom. She looked down at her hands then back up at the broken lights. Panic grabbed at her chest. Twice in a row couldn't be a coincidence. Could it? She ran her hand through her hair, grabbing it at the roots. Her feet began carrying her back and forth across the bathroom floor as she tried to figure out what exactly was happening. She tried to rationalize; the mirror in Lex's house was probably at least a hundred years old, it was bound to crack at some point. Those lights hadn't been replaced in at least a year, so they could've just burned out. She hissed when her foot found a piece of broken and hot glass. She paused and reached for the door, pulling her robe on over her pjs to hide the bruises. "Mom!" she yelled. "I need some help!"

A few seconds later, footsteps came down the hallway. Sarah poked her head into the bathroom. "What happened?" she asked, surprised to see the glass all over the floor. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just got a piece in my foot. The lights just blew out on me." she said, sitting on the edge of the tub to try and dig out the shard that had taken residence in the bottom of her foot. "Can you grab a broom?"

"Yeah, just a second. Don't move." Sarah said. She quickly headed downstairs to the kitchen and Harper almost broke down into tears. What was causing this? What was wrong with her? A million questions flew through her mind as she sat there, almost shell-shocked. She couldn't tell her parents; they would freak out and insist on taking her to a doctor. Chloe was out of the question; she would just put her on the Wall of Weird. Lex? No, she didn't know him well enough to know how he would react. That left Clark. He was level headed and seemed to have no problem dealing with Jeremy, who he said had some sort of weird electrical current in his body. But what if he wanted to deal with her the way he did Jeremy? No...he wouldn't do that. He would be calm enough to help her figure out what was going on. He was weird enough himself; a little extra weirdness from Harper wouldn't hurt him, would it?

Her mother reappeared a few moments later with a pair of shoes on and the broom in hand. She swept up the glass and made a path so Harper could walk through to her bedroom. Realizing she was going to have to come up with something to get out of the house, she let out a curse, surprising her mother.

"What's wrong, Harper?"

She groaned in frustration. "I just remembered that I promised Clark I would help him with his chemistry homework tonight. Is it okay if I head over there? I'll be back before dinner at seven."

Sarah nodded. "I don't want you skating over there. Take the truck. Call me when you're on your way home."

"Thanks, mom. I really am sorry, I completely forgot." she said, putting on a flustered smile.

Sarah chuckled. "I would do the same thing when I was your age. Be careful. Love you."

Harper leaned forward and gave her mother a hug. "Love you too, mom." She quickly made her way to her bedroom and yanked on the first pair of jeans she found and pulled a long sleeve shirt over her head before grabbing her converse and her bag. She tied her still wet hair up into a bun while she went down to the garage. Aside from her board, the truck was her prized possession. She spent almost two years saving every penny she could to buy the dark green '95 ford. It was an old stick shift, but it drove like a beauty. She threw her bag into the passenger seat while she started it up, hearing the thunder starting outside. Her mind was in a fog as she drove over to the Kent Farm, trying to calm herself down. She got there a little past five and she put on a smile before walking into the house from the side door in the kitchen. The Kents had grown accustomed to Harper coming and going as she pleased over the years, and it never bothered them to have her show up at all hours of the day.

"Hi Jon, hi Martha!" she called as she stepped inside and closed the door with a soft click.

"Harper?"

She turned and smiled when she saw the family sitting down for dinner. "I'm sorry I'm so late, guys. I promised Clark I would help him with his homework and I totally forgot."

Clark frowned in confusion, not knowing what she was talking about. But when he saw the pleading look she wore but hid from his parents, he nodded. "To be honest, so did I." he said with a chuckle. "Is it okay if we take a couple plates to the loft?" he asked.

Martha shrugged. "Sure. Just remember to bring them down."

"Thanks!" he said. He grabbed his plate and quickly fixed an extra for Harper. He followed her outside with concern on his face as he watched her move quickly and nervously. When they got to the barn, she whirled around and he set the plates down. "Harper, what's wrong?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes in frustration and fear.

Taken aback, Clark wasn't sure what to do with Harper. It had been a long time since he had seen her this emotional. "Hey," he said, grabbing her arms. She stopped immediately and winced as his fingers cut into the bruise. He jerked his hands back. "What happened?!"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled her shirt up, revealing her black camisole and bruised skin underneath. "Its from the ropes." she muttered, sniffing. "Clark, something is happening to me and I don't know what it is." she said.

He frowned. "Shouldn't you be having this conversation with your mom?"

She glared. "Clark, this is serious!" she exclaimed. "It's not about that."

"Then what's wrong?" he asked softly, reaching out to her. She let herself come apart as she wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shirt. He stood there awkwardly, holding her in one arm while his other hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Talk to me, Harper."

It took her a minute to get herself composed, but once she did, she sniffled and began talking. "Do you remember the accident? When Lex drove his car off the bridge?"

"How could I forget?"

"I saw the car come barreling towards you, and I thought it was gonna kill you." she said quietly, still not letting him go. "But it didn't hit you."

He nodded. "I remember. It was like something pushed me back before the car had a chance to hit me."

"And then the concrete in the water that should've pinned us down?"

"...yeah?"

"And then last night while I was with Lex, I was so angry at Whitney and then a mirror cracked. I told Lex I tripped and knocked into it. And tonight? I was thinking about it again and it made me want to break down and cry...and then all three lights above the mirror just shattered. Glass was everywhere and I didn't know what to do-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take a breath, H. Its okay, I've got you." he said, stopping her emotional tirade. His mind was trying to catch up and process everything that she had said.

"Clark, I think it's my fault."

"How could it be?"

She let him go and spun on her heel, throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't know, Clark! That's what scares me!"

His eyes were wide as he stared at her. "Um, Harper?"

She turned back around. "What?" She yelped in surprise when she saw several square bales of hay floating in the air. Her hand flew to her mouth and Clark ducked as a bale went flying towards the wall.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he exclaimed, gently grabbing her hands. "Look at me." he instructed, his eyes trying to find hers. Her breathing had quickened to borderline hyperventilation and he knew he had to calm her down. "You're safe. Nothing is gonna happen while you're here. I'm right here with you." he said.

She nodded rapidly but didn't appear to be any calmer. He heard a loud rattle and looked behind him to see the barn walls shaking. She sucked in a deep breath and several tools went flying from the wall. A pitchfork came flying towards them like a missile from behind and Clark's eyes widened. He grabbed Harper and spun them around so he was in front of the rapidly oncoming weapon. "Clark, no!" she exclaimed, realizing what was happening too late. The pitchfork pounded into Clark's back as Harper watched in horror. But instead of impaling him like she assumed it would, the metal prongs blew apart and wood splinters rained down on them as the handle pelted him as well. In that moment, it seemed as if her heart had stopped beating. Everything moved in slow motion. Clark stood in front of her, unharmed and instead looking her over for any injuries. All the other tools that had been soaring around dropped to the ground and the shaking abruptly stopped as she stood, petrified.

"Harper!"

She blinked a few times as she started to come to. They stood in the middle of what she thought looked like a warzone. An axe had impaled the wheel of the tractor, several garden tools were firmly stuck into the old wood planks of the barn. The tools that would normally be hooked up to the tractor were strewn about, some bent at impossible angles.

"Clark..." she breathed. He took a quick glance around before pulling her into his arms. She was still in shock over the whole situation and mindlessly allowed him to move her around. "What...what happened?"

He sighed. "I think you need to come inside." Clark led her towards the house, still surprised himself. He wasn't exactly sure what to do to help her, but he knew his parents could. After all, they put up with him and his strange abilities for fifteen years. Harper thought about protesting, but with her mind still in a fog from her earlier panic, she didn't know what to do. So she followed him silently and dutifully back inside the house.

"Mom! Dad!" Clark called, leading her into the kitchen. He guided her to a chair where he placed her until she got back with a glass of water. Jonathan and Martha came in a few moments later.

"What's all the yelling about?" Jonathan asked. He paused when he saw Harper sitting at the table. He knelt down beside her with Clark. "What happened?" he asked.

"I'm not sure..." Clark admitted. "But I think the meteors had something to do with it."

"Tell me from the beginning." Jonathan said. Martha did everything she could think of to bring Harper out of it, which was slowly working. "Things were flying all over the barn. She would've been impaled if I hadn't done something." Clark finished, briefly explaining.

Jonathan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Who else knows?"

"No one." Harper interrupted, speaking for the first time in almost an hour. "I came to Clark first."

He nodded. "For now, until we figure this thing out, I think that's the way it needs to stay. Can you do that?"

Harper nodded her assent. Her slow moving eyes found the clock on the wall, and seeing the time suddenly brought the life back to her. "I need to go home." she said quietly. "I promised my mom I would be back by seven." She stood and made for the door when Clark stood up in front of her. She looked up, confused, before he hugged her again. She responded immediately, her brain screaming for human contact.

"You'll be okay Harper. I promise. But I need you to do something for me, okay?"

She looked up at him, the question in her eyes as she waited for him to continue.

"Be happy. Spend time with your parents, tell them you love them, hug them. Call Chloe, or Pete, and ask them how they are. Keep your mind occupied with happy things, okay? Then tomorrow come back and we'll get this thing sorted out."

"Okay." she breathed.


	6. Count On Me - Default

Harper managed to get through the night without any more problems. She left early in the morning, about seven, and left her parents a note saying she needed to be at the Beanery extra early that morning for a last minute shift. But instead of driving into town, she headed back to the Kent farm. She had been almost a mindless drone the whole night, trying to keep her emotions at bay while appearing like everything was right with the world. So when she finally pulled into the driveway in front of the yellow farm house, she let out a relieved sigh. She didn't have to pretend any more. As she was climbing out of the truck, Clark met her with a hug. She glad responded before shutting the door.

"Hey. How are you this morning?"

She looked up at him, the sun almost blinding her as she did. "I'm okay." she said slowly. "I think it's slowly starting to sink in."

He nodded. "Understandable. Come on. Mom has breakfast for us." He led her into the house, and sure enough, Jon and Martha were setting the table with a large plate of pancakes and other assorted breakfast items. She was greeted with two more hugs from the Kents, who were basically her second set of parents. A little bit of life came back to her when she sat down and started to make a plate for herself.

"I have questions." she said after a moment of silence, looking between the other three. "And don't give me any of your bullcrap excuses, Clark. I want the truth."

Jon sighed quietly. "What do you want to know?"

Harper mulled it over for a moment, trying to formulate the right questions. "Is...is Clark like me? I mean...different?"

"You could say that..." Clark said. "I don't exactly know what I am. Apparently, when the meteors hit, I crash-landed in some sort of spaceship."

She paused in her chewing to frown thoughtfully at him. "Right. My best friend since childhood is an alien from another planet and has super powers. Okay. I can handle that." she said quietly, nodding her head as she reached for her orange juice. She wouldn't mind having something a little stronger, maybe some of the whiskey she saw Lex stash in his desk. But she was going to work through this herself. "How long have you had these...abilities?"

"Since I can remember." Clark responded.

"He was quite the handful when he was a toddler." Martha chuckled with a smile, earning one from Jon.

"Why do I have these powers? As far as I know, I'm not an alien." she said, looking down at her plate.

Clark sighed. "Think back to the Wall." he said. Harper looked up at him and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Everything on that wall has something to do with the meteor rocks, right?"

"Yeah..." she said, not following his line of thought.

"What were you doing the day the meteors hit?"

She shrugged. "From what my parents have told me and what I can remember, I was in an OR in Metropolis General. They were-" Realization dawned on her and it was like a lightbulb went off in her head. "They were removing the tumor from my brain." she said.

Clark leaned back in his seat, looking to Jonathan when he began to speak. "A lot of weird things have happened in Smallville since the meteors. A lot of it has been traced back to the rocks. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some big science explanation behind what happened to you."

They could all see the wheels turning in her head. "When anesthesia is administered, it puts the brain into a state of hyperactivity for a while before it starts to shut down. But when they add Ketamine, it inflates the effects of the initial anesthesia. Most people think it completely shuts your brain down. But it's the opposite!" she exclaimed. She started gesturing rapidly as she spoke, her scientific mind reeling. "Neurons and receptors are changed, making them more susceptible to things like hallucinations, which require a higher brain function. Whatever chemicals or compounds are in those meteor rocks must've had some sort of reaction with the drugs in my system!"

The Kents all looked at her with raised eyebrows and confused expressions. They let her ramble on, figuring it out herself as she worked through the process. It seemed all she needed was a jumpstart to get her mind in gear. "Right. That actually makes sense." Clark said eventually, frowning as he thought it over and tried to remember all of her tutoring sessions. Turns out those hours he thought were wasted were actually paying off.

Harper laughed, shook her head, and then dropped her head into her hands. "I am such a freaking idiot." she said, her voice slightly muffled. "Now all I need to do is figure out how to control this." she muttered.

Jon leaned back in his chair and tapped his fork thoughtfully on his plate. "What were you doing when all of this happened?" he asked.

"I was thinking about the Scarecrow." she muttered, looking back down.

"Scarecrow?" Martha asked.

Clark shot Harper a look that she missed. But she had enough of keeping secrets. So she decided to spill it all. "Yeah. The other night, the football team decided to put me and Clark up in Riley field as the scarecrow. Stripped us down half naked and left us there." she said. "That's where Clark first saw Jeremy. He left us there too, but Lex found us."

Clark sighed and almost did a facepalm while Jonathan began to frown.

"Clark took off after Jeremy and Lex helped me. Clark told you I was upstairs? I was actually...I was actually with Lex."

"Harper!" Martha exclaimed. "Why didn't you come here? We would've helped you!"

"I know, I know." she said, trying to calm Martha down. "But the jocks tore out my stitches and I got banged up pretty bad. Lex brought in a doctor who fixed me up and told me to stay put. So I stayed there for the night and Clark came to get me the next morning." It felt like a huge weight was being lifted off her chest as she told them everything. "I was standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror at the bruises, and I was just so...angry. The next thing I knew, the mirror cracked all on its own. Then last night, I was thinking about what had happened. I was upset and the lightbulbs in my bathroom exploded."

Jonathan's frown had deepened into a scowl. "Harper, I know you were probably scared and didn't know what else to do. But you have to remember that you're a minor. Lex is several years older than you, and if anyone ever found out the two of you were alone together in his house, he could end up in a lot of trouble. Did he do anything to you?"

"No, Uncle Jon. All he did was give me some warm clothes and a bed to sleep in while he was downstairs. I didn't want to tell anyone because I knew we would both be in trouble. Please, promise me you won't tell my parents? You know how they can be."

Martha sighed. "I understand why you did what you did. We'll keep this to ourselves if you promise not to let it happen again. If anything like this ever happens and you need help, call us."

Harper nodded vigorously. "I promise."

"Good." Martha said, nodding to herself.

"Well, it seems from what you've said that you weren't exactly in the best emotional state when all of this happened. Am I right?" Jonathan said.

Harper looked down again. "You could say that." she muttered.

He smiled at her. "Well, that's an easy fix then." he said. "Clark's abilities have been sort of...temperamental since he's become a teenager. A lot of it had to do with his emotions. Once he figured out what was wrong, he was able to control it."

She frowned as she finished off her first couple of pancakes. "So...you're saying I just need to get ahold of myself?"

Clark gave her a teasing grin. "I wouldn't have put it so bluntly, but yeah."

She nodded slowly. "I can work with that."

After they all finished their breakfast, Clark led Harper outside to the field behind the barn. He was carrying a scarecrow and a few garden tools. Once they were a relatively safe distance away from anything that could be harmed, hr handed her the tools and carried the scarecrow another fifteen feet away. Her gripped it tightly and drove it into the ground with one hand, which made Harper's mouth drop open. She blinked and Clark was beside her once again. She jumped in surprise and dropped the tools. "How did you...?"

He chuckled. "Super strength and speed." he said. He grinned at her. "It's so nice to be able to share this with you, H. You have no idea how many times I almost told you."

"Well, it's gonna take me a while to get used to it, but I'm glad I basically forced you to tell me." she said with a smile. "Now. Exactly why are we out here?"

He chuckled. "I'm gonna help you try to get a handle on these new abilities of yours. It will be a little difficult, but you need to know how to control them."

"Fair enough." she said with a nod. "So what am I supposed to do?"

He gave her a small frown, knowing she probably wasn't going to like what he had to say. "I need you to think about the other night." he said quietly. She gave him a sharp look, giving him all the explanation he needed. But he was quick to explain his reasons. "We need to figure out what emotions were triggering the telekinesis."

Her defensive stance relaxed slightly but she was obviously still not happy with it. Taking it in stride, she rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes. The hair on the back of her neck began to rise as she thought about the events that had transpired two days ago. Clark noticed her tensing up again.

"What do you feel?"

It took her a moment to respond through her tight lips and clenched teeth. But when she did, her voice was hard and rough. "Angry. Betrayed. Terrified. Worried."

He nodded. "Now, use that. Focus your thoughts and channel those emotions. Let your natural instincts kick in."

A growl sounded deep within her throat and her eyes snapped open. Without warning, the tools that they had brought along all rocketed towards the scarecrow. Her eyes narrowed as they tore through their target, ripping the poor scarecrow to shreds. But once they had gone through the straw body, the farm implements dropped to the ground. She looked at Clark with her eyebrows raised in surprise and her mouth in the shape of an O. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, happiness taking over her features as her face split into a grin. She hugged Clark, making him laugh. "I did it!"

"Yeah, you did." he said. When she released him, he walked over to the makeshift target and assessed the damage. "I think maybe you did a little too much..."

She looked at the carnage that her weapons had left behind. Harper let out a nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, you did tell me to channel my anger..."

He snorted. "Yeah, but I didn't think it would be that destructive."

She rolled her eyes. "Anger is always destructive, Clark. Some people just hide it better." She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air that filled her lungs. She knew she was going to have to leave soon, but for the first time in the last couple days, Harper felt good. She didn't feel as if she had a huge weight on her shoulders. Instead, she almost felt free. And now that she knew she wasn't crazy, things were starting to look up for her. "Hey Clark?" she asked.

He looked up at her from his kneeling position beside the ruins of the scarecrow. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything." she said with a soft smile. He returned it and stood, pulling her in for a hug. She gladly accepted it. "Thanks for not thinking I was crazy."

He chuckled quietly. "Well, the first few minutes of last night's conversation were a little weird, I'll give you that. You had me wondering there for a minute."

She rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to smack his chest when she pulled back. "Well, you have fun cleaning this mess up. I have to go to work like an adult."

"But it's a Saturday!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Someone has to run the place while the other baristas are off flirting with the jocks." she said. "So if you'll excuse me, and tell Aunt Martha that breakfast was amazing, I have to run."

He chuckled and pat her shoulder as she walked away, glad to see that she was now in a happy mood. He always hated seeing Harper down. It cast a dark shadow over her, one that tended to extend to anyone in her vicinity. But now that she was out of the mood, she was once again back to bringing light to the world. Harper waved to Jonathan as he made his way out to take care of the cattle and he returned the favor. Before climbing up into her truck, she made sure her red converse were free of mud. She was almost in a happy daze as she made her way back to town. She parked behind the building and made her way inside the coffee house, tying her small, black apron around her hips and pinning her name tag to her red and black shirt as she did. Her hair was in a ponytail, a few curly strands falling out to frame her face. To anyone not paying attention, she looked like the happiest person in the world. And for the moment, she even felt like it.

Harper quickly fell into her routine of taking orders and rapidly making the coffee. It was her shift at the register and she was kept on her toes by the morning rush, even on Saturday. The time passed by rapidly and she felt her leg start protesting from being stuck in one position for so long. She moved around behind the counter for a minute before the door opened again. She bit back a groan before putting on a smile. She opened her mouth to spout the normal greeting, but faltered slightly when she saw the now familiar face of Lex Luthor.

"Lex?" she asked, puzzled.

He gave her his signature smirk. "Hey, half pint." He glanced around the small and rather crowded establishment, deciding it was rather cozy.

"Whaaaat are you doing here?" she asked, obviously confused. "Decide the castle was a little lonely?"

Lex chuckled. "I remember you told me this was the closest thing to entertainment in this town. I figured I should check out some of the local cuisine as well."

She snorted. "We're a little lacking in the entertainment department." she said, nodding to the rarely used grand piano. "The last time we even had something close to live music was three years ago. I had just started working here. But they were pretty bad so the owner kicked them out." she remarked with pursed lips. "So what brings you into town?"

He shrugged. "I had some business to take care of. And I wanted to see if this place was all that."

"Right...so what can I get you?"

He looked at the menu that hung above her head. "I'll take a latte." he said. "Simple enough, right?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. "You don't know what you're missing out oooon!" she said in a sing song voice.

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, then what would you suggest?" he quipped with a half smile.

Her grin widened. "A Chai, vanilla, and spice latte with a double shot. Whipped cream and white chocolate drizzle on top."

"Sounds a little sweet for my taste..."

"This is a coffee shop for a reason. You can't have your coffee like your scotch, Lex."

"And how exactly would that be?" he asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"Old and hard." she deadpanned.

He chuckled slightly. "Fine, do what you want."

Harper grinned at him. "What size?"

Lex let out an exaggerated sigh. "Might as well go all out and get a large."

"Four fifty."

He handed her a five while watching her movements. "You seem to be doing better." he commented.

She gave him his change and receipt. "I am, thanks. I spent some time with my family and with Clark the last couple days. It's helped quite a bit."

He nodded. "Good. So I take it your parents know?"

Harper paused in her fluid movements, having just turned her back to him. Her hand was halfway to the espresso machine when her fingers began to shake. But she took a deep breath and forced the dark thoughts from her head. "Not exactly." she said quietly. She turned to look at him, seeing the stern and unhappy expression he wore. "Look, I've got a fifteen minute break in five."

He nodded tersely before going off to find a spot to sit. He found his way into the other room and discovered a well worn and extremely comfortable leather chair to sit in. He made himself comfortable and took a phone call while he waited on her. She appeared just as he hung up, a deep frown on his face. His father always did like to meddle in his affairs. Harper handed him his drink and gave him a small frown when she saw his scowl. "What's wrong, Lex?" she asked, sitting across from him.

He took the drink from her hands, his fingers wrapping around the warm cup. A sigh escaped his lips as he regarded her. "My father isn't exactly one to let things go. He thinks he's punishing me by putting me here in Smallville." he answered. "But that's beside the point. Why haven't you told your parents?"

She let out a sigh of her own. "My parents can be a bit overprotective..." she started. "My dad never really did like Whitney, and if he found out, things would get so out of hand and Clark and I would be caught in the middle of it. Not to mention what would happen to you. They know I tore out my stitches, but they think it was because I fell going down a hill on Main and that Clark took me to the med center to get it taken care of."

"So you think it's better to keep this from them?" he asked, obviously perplexed. He didn't understand why she would jeopardize her good relationship with her parents in order to keep this whole thing a secret. Unless there was something else going on that he didn't know about. But he wasn't going to pry; he was going to offer his advice and stay out of it. "Why? He left you in a field, tied to a post no less. Even the Romans only left that for special occasions."

She moved to run a hand through her hair, glaring when she realized it was tied up. It was a nervous habit she had and not being able to do it was driving her crazy. "Yes, I do. Because Whitney and I have settled this ourselves and I don't see the need to get the police, much less the whole town, involved. You may like your life in the spotlight, Lex, but I prefer to stay back in the shadows."

He sighed. "Fine. But if this-"

"Ever happens again, you'll call the cavalry and be the knight in shining armor?" she interrupted.

He gave her a wry grin. "Something of the sort." He raised the drink to his lips and Harper waited for the reaction. The blended flavors hit his taste buds in an explosion and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "This is actually really good." he muttered.

Harper laughed. "The extra shot of espresso kills a lot of the sweetness. It's still sweet enough to not be bitter, but you can actually taste the coffee."

"Exactly how did you come up with this?"

She shrugged. "I was working late, and pulling an all-nighter for a test I had to do. I just threw a bunch of stuff together that sounded good."

He nodded his approval. "Good job."

"Hey, Harper!"

She looked up when her name was called, smiling when she saw Lana. Her smile faltered when Whitney appeared close behind his girlfriend, and Lex have her a small frown when he noticed the way she tensed up. "Hey, Lana."

"I didn't know you were working today."

Harper shrugged. "Someone's got to keep the world spinning on the weekend. I'm actually on break right now though."

"Oh, awesome!"

Harper awkwardly cleared her throat. "Uh, Lex, this is Lana and Whitney. She's the captain of the cheerleading squad and Whitney's the quarterback." she introduced. She was also giving him a subtle hint as to why she was so tense. He turned his narrowed eyes to the two newcomers.

"Nice to meet you." he said, smiling lightly at Lana. He turned his stare on Whitney, who had offered his hand. Lex looked down at his hand and then back up to his face as if challenging him.

Harper felt the tension in the air thicken even more, almost to the point where she could cut it with a knife. She noticed the way Lex was staring down Whitney, looking like a predator stalking its prey. "Well, I've got to get back to work. Holler if you need anything." she said. She stood and placed a hand on Lex's shoulder as she spoke, not wanting him to do anything stupid. He apparently got the message and relaxed under her touch. She walked away, shaking her head as she did so. Her life had gotten ten times weirder since Lex had literally crashed into her life. But if she was being honest, she thought he would turn out to be a really good friend. Harper sighed quietly as she began her routine once again, going about mixing coffee and taking orders.

Another couple hours and she was finally done. She began wiping down her tables and took off her apron. "I can't wait to go home." she muttered.

"Need a ride?"

She jumped at the sudden voice. The small shop had fallen into a relatively quiet atmosphere which gave her peace of mind. She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart as she gave him a playful glare. "I thought you left an hour ago."

He shrugged, the two thousand dollar coat rising and falling with his shoulders. "Got caught up in work and lost track of the time." he said.

She smiled and finished wiping down the table. "Thanks for the offer, Lex. But I'm good. I drove over this morning." she said. "With all the rain, everything is pretty muddy. My mom didn't want me to end up crashing."

"Smart idea. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah. Bye Lex."

He moved past her, putting his hand on her waist to move her slightly so there was enough room for him to move between her and the table. She smiled as she watched him walk away, hands in his pockets and a signature smirk on his face. She chuckled quietly and shook her head. "A'ight Zoe, I'm out!" she said, putting everything back where it belonged before grabbing her keys.

"See ya!"

Harper made her way out to her tuck, sighing in relief when she felt the leather seats and steering wheel. It had been an exhausting day and she was ready to crash. Her drive back home was filled with the sound of a Queen cd and she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat. When she entered the quiet house, she remembered that Saturday afternoons and evenings her parents spent at the farmer's market in town, buying as well as selling. Sarah made a cherry pie that was to die for and always brought a few extra dollars home on the weekend. She headed upstairs to her room, picking up her laptop from her bed and putting it on her desk. What Clark had said about focusing her anger and finding what triggered her newfound power made a lot of sense. So she began researching different ways of managing her stress and emotions. There were several different options such as mediation, exercise, kick boxing, and even art. But she needed something that would channel her emotions and help her focus them. Maybe a combination of several things would prove more effective?

She grabbed one of her many notebooks and began writing down her options. The one that appealed to her the most though was a combination of meditation and exercise. She didn't realize how late it was getting until her stomach growled. She glanced at her clock, surprised to find it almost eight o'clock. Harper sighed and ran a hand through her hair before going downstairs and searching the fridge. There was some leftover pasta that she put in the microwave before grabbing a coke. Once the food was warm, she headed back upstairs to finish her research. She sat down at her desk, munching thoughtfully. She had a whole new range of emotions to explore and she had no idea how that was going to affect her abilities. She knew anger and sadness were triggers, but she didn't have a clue as to what else she could be capable of if put in the right mood. She figured it would be best to do these mental exercises when no one else was around, preferably in a field by herself. That way there was less of a risk of her hurting anyone. She frowned as she realized she was going to have to make a spot in her busy schedule for this new activity. But if it was going to help her get a handle on these powers, then it was going to be well worth it.


	7. Oxygen - Dirty Heads

The next afternoon, Harper had taken her notes and ideas to Clark. He had looked over her scribbled handwriting, raising an eyebrow when he couldn't translate words here and there. She had just rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. He continued reading, nodding his head as he examined her research. "This all sounds like a great idea, H. I do think we should show it to my parents, though."

She sighed, not completely thrilled with anyone else knowing her secrets. But Jon and Martha already knew and they had raised Clark, abilities and all. They probably would be the best people for the job. "Okay." she said with a shrug. "But I thought they were busy? Out in the fields?"

He rolled his eyes. "Well yeah, not right now, genius. But if you want, it wouldn't hurt to get a jump start on this."

She nodded enthusiastically. She was more than ready to start. "It would probably be better if we did it outside, maybe behind the barn again. I don't want any kitchen utensils to attack you." she said with a good natured grin. "I know you're indestructible and all that, what with you being superman and all. But I don't think Martha would be too happy if I destroyed all the good silverware."

Clark snorted. "I'm not indestructible." he muttered.

Harper crossed her arms. "Yeah and I suppose that pitchfork the other night was made of cotton?"

"Har dee har har." he snarked while rolling his eyes. "Now come on, I have an idea." Clark began walking towards the barn, leaving Harper to either stay rooted to her spot or follow him. She chose the latter and quickly followed him into the field. She frowned as her boots stuck in a few muddy places. But they made it back without getting completely stuck. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the large stones that were set up in a perfectly straight line. He smiled proudly at her, obviously feeling accomplished for something.

"What am I supposed to see?" she asked carefully, not wanting to crush tha happy smile he wore. Seeing him genuinely happy like that made her happy, and she hated for anything to rain on his parade.

"Move them. It doesn't have to be much or all of them. Just remember yesterday and try to incorporate some of your ideas into the mix." he explained.

Harper sighed. "Hold this." she said, stripping off her dark brown bomber jacket. She handed it to him and tied her hair up on top of her head before taking a deep breath. She walked towards the line up of stones, Clark watching from a somewhat safe distance. When she was about six feet away from the rocks she stopped. Her eyes slid shut as she took a deep breath of fresh air. She didn't know a whole lot about meditation, so this was going to be a learning process as she went along. She began moving her hands in time with her breathing, relaxing herself. Harper's mind whirled around several different thoughts and ideas before she managed to focus on her emotions. She lost track of time while she stood there, just getting a rhythm for her breath. She could feel the blood pulsing in her ears, the adrenaline that was rushing through her system. The gentle breeze caressed her skin, even blowing strands of hair around her face. But beneath all of that, she could feel power flowing inside of her. It wasn't just pure willpower or determination; it was something more. It was something that whispered for her to do great things, that screamed at her to be in control. And she had to admit, it was addicting.

Clark stood back and watched with interest while for twenty minutes, Harper just stood there doing different breathing exercises and slowly and her hands around in the air. He was beginning to lose his interest after another five minutes of the same, but a crunching sound caught his attention.

While Harper was weaving her hands through the air, it felt like she could touch everything. She felt the leaves under her fingertips, the grass caress her arms, the rocks beneath her toes. She stayed rooted to the spot and grasped onto the large piece of rock that was directly in front of her. Focusing the power she felt, channeling it like a funnel, she reached out. Her eyes opened and she paused in her movements, her ice blue eyes the only thing that moved. To both her and Clark's surprise, the boulder lifted up off the ground about seven feet before beginning to spin wildly. Twitching her fingers and using her eyes to guide it, the stone began moving this way and that, almost like a shooting star. It moved more quickly and she thrust out her hand, abruptly bringing it to a halt, albeit a little shakily. She held her trembling hand in front of her while sweat dripped down her neck. Slowly her fingers began to curl into a fist, and multiple fractures splayed across the surface of the stone. Suddenly clenching her fist, the boulder shattered, sending debris and bits of rock in every which direction.

Clark watched this unfold with wide eyes, not quite believing what he was seeing. When the rock exploded, he ran towards her in order to shield her body with his. He hunched over her slightly, his arms wrapped around her and holding her to his chest. Once the debris stopped falling, he released her."You okay?"

Harper stared up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. Her features split into one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen her wear. "I did it!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and laughing loudly. "I actually did it!"

He chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets, watching her dance around with an amused smile. "I knew you could, shorty. It just takes a little practice."

"You know what, I'm so happy right now that I'm not gonna even take offense at that." she said. "We should do something fun. I feel accomplished and on top of the world. Let's ask Chloe and Pete to come too. I think they've been feeling a little left out lately."

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked. "There aren't exactly a whole lot of options here in Smallville."

"Let's go to Metropolis. I've been wanting to get away for a while. Let's go to the water park or go karts. What do you think? We'll be back before midnight!" she said with an excited grin.

"Sounds like a lot of fun. We should probably check with our parents first, don't you think?" he responded, giving her the subtle hint that she was getting too far ahead of herself.

"That would probably be smart...and since I'm the adult of the group, I have to make sure you idiots don't do anything stupid." she teased.

"Hey!" Clark defended. "You can be just as bad as us."

She grinned. "True. Anyways, I'm gonna use your phone, so go find your parents." she said. Harper turned and headed for the house. She hummed to herself as she did, feeling the happiest she had in a while. She stepped inside the farmhouse and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before making her way to the phone. She dialed her house number and waited patiently for her mother to answer.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, mom!" she said, sitting on one of the barstools and beginning to swing her leg back and forth.

_"Hi, Harper! What's up? Are you on your way home?"_

"No, I'm still at Clark's. We were actually talking and I wanted to see if it would be okay if Clark, Chloe, Pete, and I went to Metropolis tonight. Go to the water park or go karting. We've been wanting to do that for a while. What do you think?"

_"Well, you would have to double check with your father, but I don't see a problem with it. As long as you're safe and keeping an eye on each other. And if you wouldn't mind, come home for a few minutes before you leave."_

"Okay. Thanks mom! I'll go by dad's office on my way."

_"All right. Love you."_

"Love you too mom. Bye."

Clark came in on the last few words and he paused politely, waiting until she got off the phone to approach her. "My dad said it was okay if your parents agreed."

Harper grinned. "I have to stop by my dad's office on my way home but I think its a go. I'm gonna head out. Will you call Pete and ask him? I'll call Chloe."

"Sure. Be safe. Let me know when you're on your way back."

"Will do, mom." she teased, poking him in the side. He rolled his eyes and reached up to ruffle her hair, messing up the ponytail she had it in. She glared at him and smacked his hand away. "Be ready by six." she said  
With a quick hug she headed back out to her truck, feeling like she was on cloud nine. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she began the drive back to town. As she rolled to a stop at the highway, she bit her lip and tapped her nail against the steering wheel. Making up her mind, she switched her signal from left to right and pulled out. She made a quick call to Chloe explaining what they were planning on doing, and the young reporter was more than happy to go along with the plan. Harper hummed along to the songs that played on the radio as the scenery quickly passed by. It wasn't long before she reached her destination, standing on the porch and ringing the doorbell. An older woman answered the door with a smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

Harper returned the smile while putting her hands in the pocket of her bomber jacket. "Yeah, my name's Harper. I'm a friend of Lex."

"Come in, come in!" the lady said happily. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Kathy. I'm Lex's maid. He's in his office, I'll show you where it's at."

"Nice to meet you too." Harper said politely. The woman reminded her quite a lot of Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast; she was on the shorter side, even shorter than Harper. She had graying hair that she wore in a tight bun at the base of her neck, and her English accent was extremely prominent. Her eyes were kind and lit up when she smiled. "If he's busy, I can come back later." she said, realizing that it probably wasn't the best idea to drop in unannounced.

Kathy waved off her concern. "Oh, it's no bother at all. Lex said you and Clark were welcome at any time."

Harper blinked in surprise, not knowing quite how to respond. She followed Kathy up a flight of stairs, wincing slightly when her right leg took the majority of her weight. For such a small and unimposing woman, Kathy was a fast mover. They reached the top of the stairs and went down another hallway. Harper glanced around, wondering if there was ever going to be an end to the maze. Her answer was soon received as Kathy stopped in front of a set of double doors, stained glass and intricate carvings adorning the wood. She knocked twice before she heard Lex's voice on the other side telling her it was okay to come in. Kathy opened the door and poked her head inside. "You've got a visitor, sir."

She swung the door open fully to reveal Harper standing with her hands in her pockets, a small smile on her face. For a moment, surprise flashed across his face before he quickly masked it with a smile. "Thank you, Kathy." She took that as her dismissal and gave Harper a silent smile before taking her leave. Lex stood up behind his desk and Harper noticed that he was wearing a dark maroon dress shirt tucked into a pair of suit pants which she was sure probably cost a small fortune.

"Hi Lex." she said as he approached.

He gave her a soft smile in return. "Hi," he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Harper?"

She shrugged, still unsure why she chose to come here in the first place. "You know, I've spent the night here and I still have no idea how to find the kitchen from your bedroom." she said. "I was hoping for a grand tour." Harper mentally slapped herself. She really had no filter between her brain and her mouth. But she needed one desperately. And by the amused half smirk on Lex's face, she needed to develop one rapidly.

"Well, you're in luck. I just finished with some paperwork." he responded, eyeing her curiously. "Follow me." Harper did as she was told, following Lex through several hallways and listening quietly as he told her a little about the Luthor family history. She began drawing out a mental map in case she ever needed to know the ins and outs of the mansion. He pointed to a few corridors that were surprisingly well hidden by staircases and shelves. "These were used as servant's passages several hundred years ago." he explained. "I used to play hide and seek in them when I was a kid."

She smiled at the thought as they continued walking. "I take it you got to know them pretty well?"

He paused and turned to her with a grin. "You could say that. I knew all the best hiding spots."

Harper chuckled. "I'm sure you did."

They continued walking throughout the castle, Harper asking small questions here and there to keep the conversation going. She found it rather relaxing being in Lex's presence. She had grown accustomed to the constant barrage of action in her life, whether at school, work, home, or even with the Kents. And her newfound abilities didn't do anything to help with her already high stress. If anything, they just added more. So being able to have a normal conversation and a surprisingly relaxing walk with Lex was something she decided she wanted more of. They moved from inside to out, a comfortable silence falling between them. Harper had moved from walking behind Lex to walking beside him, both of them having their hands in their pockets and a contented look on their faces.

"You should give your landscapers a raise." Harper commented when they stepped into the gardens. The lawn was perfectly manicured, gravel paths didn't have a stone out of place, and each flowerbed complemented the next in shape, size, and color. Lex glanced over at her with a small smile.

"Probably will." he agreed. "They've done a good job." He led them over to the small bench and sat down, crossing his legs so that one ankle rested across his other knee. Harper sat beside him as he stretched his arm out over the back of the bench in a completely nonchalant way. "So what's the real reason for this little visit, Harper?" he asked, turning his piercing gaze to her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Suddenly I need a reason to visit my friend?"

"Well, when you weren't too keen on the friendship in the first place, this just makes me even more curious about you."

Harper snorted and leaned back, turning her head to look out over the rest of the property. "Brutal honesty?" she asked.

Lex chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

She sighed before looking at him again. "My life has suddenly gotten a lot more complicated. My stress level is sky high right now. I just wanted a little peace and quiet." she explained. "I needed a breather, ya know?"

He gave her a thoughtful look. "Well if you wanted peace and quiet, I'm not sure the mansion was the best choice. I do run a business from here, you know."

"Well, I think this is pretty peaceful." she said absentmindedly while still taking in the rest of the scenery.

There was a stretch of silence before he spoke again, and when he did, he honestly surprised them both. "Why don't you and your family come over for dinner tonight? I would invite the Kents, but I really don't think they would appreciate it." he suggested. "Then I could actually guarantee peace and quiet."

Harper turned to look at him, surprised. "I would love to, Lex. But I already have plans for tonight. You're literally a half hour late." she said, surprised at her own disappointment.

His half smile dropped into a frown. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Clark, Pete, Chloe, and I are going to Metropolis. They don't get to get out a lot. We all wanted to have some fun. I'm not exactly sure what we planned on doing; I think we were gonna figure that out once we got there." she explained.

He raised an eyebrow. "Metropolis? That's your idea of fun?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well compared to Smallville, then yeah. Of course I can't take a group of fifteen and sixteen year olds with me to a club, which is what I'm sure you would consider fun in Metropolis." she quipped.

Lex momentarily pursed his lips. "Fair enough. Do you want to take the helicopter? It'll be a faster ride than if you drove."

She sighed and shook her head. "Again, I would love to, but I promised them it was just us tonight, no involvement from anyone else."

"This sounds more stressful than anything else you've been doing." he pointed out. "You don't exactly seem thrilled at this idea."

Harper reluctantly nodded. "We actually decided to do this about forty five minutes ago. Sort of last minute, I know. Probably should've put a little more thought into this."

"Probably." he agreed. Harper let out a quiet sigh. She always had been impulsive, and she could usually convince her friends to go along with her. But Lex had a point; if she was looking for a break, Metropolis wasn't exactly the place to go. She would have a lot more to worry about there, especially in a group of seemingly defenseless teenagers. But she had been the one to get ahead of herself and act before she thought. So she was going to be stuck with the results. "So besides parading around Metropolis with no idea what to do, what else do you have planned in the near future?"

Harper snorted and resisted the urge to smack him. "You can be a real jerk, ya know?" she responded. He just gave her a half smile and waited for her to answer his question. She rolled her eyes. "Not a lot. Try to keep up with my homework and job. There's a skating competition in Edge City in a couple months that I would like to enter. Of course, I'll have to just about break my face trying to relearn all the tricks." she muttered, hearing him snort.

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll do great. Just try not to over think it too much. If you need a ride, call me, and I'll have the chopper ready for you."

"I'll do that. Thank you."

"Come on." Lex said, beginning to stand. Harper looked up and felt his fingers graze her shoulder as he stood to his full height. He waited for her to do the same, which she did, after being jerked out of her thoughts. She walked with him back into the mansion, few words being exchanged. "You know, you're welcome to come here anytime you need time away, Harper." he said, pausing in a hallway to stop and look at her. "Mi casa is su casa."

A smile lit up her face and she let out a quiet laugh. "Thanks, Lex."

"I know it's not as spectacular as Metropolis, but at least its quiet. And since now you know where everything is, feel free to make yourself at home. Oh, and you'll be happy to know that I finally got the guest rooms put together."

Harper snorted. "Metropolis isn't that great to begin with. And thanks for the offer. I'll have to take you up on that. Pft, who cares about guest rooms? I'll just kick you out again and take your bed." she joked. "I'm sure it's way more comfortable anyway."

He chuckled and started walking again, headed back to his office. She faltered in her steps momentarily, realizing once again that she desperately needed a filter. He went over to do something on his computer and Harper's attention was caught by the bookshelves that lined the wall around the fireplace. He smiled when he saw her reach for one of the older books, a collection of Edgar Allan Poe. "Most of what's down here is business, law, that sort of thing." He nodded to the upper landing, which a small staircase in the corner led to. "Up there is where everything else is. You'll probably find whatever you're looking for." He leaned his weight against the desk as he began clicking away at something.

Harper nodded silently as she began flipping through the book, several familiar passages catching her eye. "People say poetry is dead. Personally, I find it beautiful and, forgive the cliche here, romantic."

He chuckled as he glanced away from his emails. "People who don't appreciate poetry don't realize that it's all about seduction." he commented.

"Unless you're Poe writing about death, suffering, and loneliness." she deadpanned.

He paused in what he was doing, fully looking over at her now. "Take me to you, imprison me, for I never shall be free, nor ever chaste, except you ravish me." he said lowly. Harper turned to look at him, noticing the way his eyes sparkled with something she couldn't put her finger on, and a half smirk she knew she would find infuriating.

"John Donne," she said after a moment of not knowing what to say. "He's one of my favorites."

With a smug smile he turned back to the monitor. "If I didn't know better, I think I've found your Achilles Heel."

She opened her mouth to let loose a snarky comeback, but the doors suddenly flinging open cut her off. An older man stalked in, anger and frustration on his features. Harper flashed a nervous glance at Lex, noticing how thick the tension suddenly became.

"Congratulations, Lex. You made the business page for once." he said, dropping the paper onto the glass desk with a slap.

Harper wasn't sure why, but she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she watched the exchange between the two men. She hugged the book to her chest as she bit her lip, already not liking this man.

"I told Dominic I was doing this two days ago." Lex said dully.

"Yes, and my drone dutifully reported it to me." A smug smile took over Lex's features, almost like he was mocking the other man. "I just didn't think you were stupid enough to implement it."

Lex rolled his eyes. "If you had a problem, why didn't you pick up the phone and call me? That would've been appreciated, considering I have company at the moment." he ground out.

The older man raised an eyebrow and paused in his turn to look back. His keen eyes settled on Harper, who was still standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. She watched him scan her up and down, taking in her tight jeans, knee high riding boots, and low cut tank top. "And who might you be?"

She suddenly felt the urge to glare at the man, which she did. "That's not really any of your business, now is it?" she snapped. "You're not making the best first impression here, dude. And it doesn't really seem like Lex wants you here. You might want to find the door." Her abrasive and protective natures were kicking in, and she felt the need to tell this guy exactly what she thought of him. Which wasn't much. Lex looked at her, surprised and amused, as she spoke.

The man turned to Lex, a cocky smile on his face. "Where did you find this one? She's actually got a backbone."

"More than you realize." Lex agreed, thinking about everything Harper had been through in the short time that he had known her. To say that she had a backbone was an understatement in his book. He noticed her rapidly darkening mood and tried to calm her down with his next words. "Harper," She tore her eyes away from the other man to look at Lex, her hostility not as noticeable, but obviously still there. "I'd like you to meet Lionel Luthor, my father." Harper's icy eyes swiveled back around to Lionel.

"I'd say it's a pleasure, but then I'd be lying." she said flatly.

Lionel chuckled. "My, my, my. You're quite the firecracker aren't you?"

Her glare hardened. "And you're quite the deluded billionaire, aren't you?" she responded.

Lex covered his laugh with a cough. He gave Harper a hard look, but his eyes were alight with humor. She gave him a small smile in return, turning her attention back to Lionel. "If you'll excuse me, I have a ride to catch." she muttered. She paused, looking down at the book still in her hands. "Can I borrow this?"

Lex nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "Keep it, if you like. It's a first edition print. I don't have much use for it any more."

Her smile grew. "Thanks, Lex. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Harper." He watched her leave and quietly shut the doors behind her. He turned his attention back to his father, who had blatantly been watching Harper's movements.

"Where did you find her?" Lionel asked with a sly smile, turning back to Lex.

Lex clenched his jaw. "She saved my life. Nice way to make friends. You should try it sometime."

"Of all your little pets over the years, Lex, I think I like her the most."

"She's not a pet, Dad." he hissed. "She's a highschool student. And a friend."

"Little young for you, don't you think? But something about her has your interest, otherwise she wouldn't have been here."

"Was there a point to this little visit? Because if there's not, you know where the door is." Lex snapped, crossing his arms as he stared his father down. He never did appreciate it when his father would stick his nose in Lex's personal life. And at this particular moment, he had no intention of ever letting his father lay eyes on Harper again. The wolfish grin that Lionel gave Lex just proved his point.

Lionel chuckled. "You know what your problem is?"

Lex glared. He didn't want another lecture from his father. "Enlighten me." he growled.

Lionel leaned forward, his knuckles resting on the glass across from Lex while wearing a smug smile. "You're ruled by your emotions. You always have been. And that can be a fatal flaw."

An almost feral growl sounded from the back of Lex's throat. "I think Harper was right...you need to find the door."


	8. Start Over - Imagine Dragons

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. It all seemed to blur together for Harper. Between her job, school, and keeping up with her new training program, she slowly began to lose track. It wasn't until her mother had to constantly remind her to wear pants instead of shorts that she realized she had a problem. Even then, she didn't want to admit it. Her life had been turned upside down in a matter of days and it honestly terrified her. But as time went on, she began to get a handle on her abilities. Clark and his parents had done wonders for her, helping her in ways she didn't know if she could've even helped herself. Her daily meditation and exercise had produced dramatic results, and it seemed that she was getting even more powerful as the days passed by. Her friendship with Lex was slowly growing and she was beginning to view him as she did Chloe and Pete; someone that she cared about deeply and would do anything to protect. He could still be an arrogant and pompous jerk on occasion, but he was growing on her. Things in Smallville had been as weird as ever. Chloe began referring to the people affected by the meteor rocks as Meteor Mutants and Harper found the name rather fitting and appropriate. She had also learned that Clark used his abilities to help people. He was the reason a lot of the Meteor Mutants were no longer an issue. Harper wanted to do the same thing. She wanted to develop her powers and advance to having complete control. She wanted to use her powers for good, to protect the people she cared about.

But with every crazy thing in her life, she didn't hardly have any time to enjoy it. She barely had time to spend with her friends outside of training with Clark. So as the headlights of her old truck danced across people gathered around a bonfire at Crater Lake, she briefly wondered how Chloe had managed to talk her into going.

"See, this is what I love about high school parties." Chloe said from the sear across from Harper. "People will gather anywhere as long as there's illegally purchased alcohol and even the slightest chance of hooking up."

Harper snorted. "If I recall correctly, you're the one who wanted to come." she said.

Chloe rolled her eyes as she got out of the truck, followed by Clark. "Yeah, but I didn't realize it was going to be this cold. Its like negative twenty thousand degrees out here."

"I don't know, it doesn't seem that cold out here to me." Clark said.

Harper shoved her hands into the pockets of her skin tight leather pants as she looked around. She turned at the sound of Chloe's voice. "What, are you from an ice planet or something? I'm gonna go warm up by the fire. Have fun."

Harper shook her head, the braids bouncing around her face. "She's right, it is cold." she muttered. She ran a hand through her hair, careful to avoid getting her fingernails caught in the four cornrows she had put in on the right side. "Fire sounds nice." She headed towards the large fire with Clark trailing behind her. Her eyes narrowed as she saw one of the football players going to sit beside Chloe. "Heads up." she muttered to Clark. "Sean Kelvin has his sights set on Chloe."

Clark's eyes narrowed in the direction Harper had nodded to. He wasn't fond of any of the football players, especially knowing which ones helped in the whole Scarecrow fiasco. Which Sean happened to be a part of. Harper heard her name called and turned to head in the direction of Lana. The dark haired girl was accompanied by the ever present Whitney, who Harper gave a small nod to. He returned the favor, not saying much. Harper had kept her promise and didn't say anything to anyone about the prank. But she would be lying if she said she didn't want to bring it to the attention of her friend. Over the last few months Harper had started to forgive Whitney, but the two of them were still on shaky ground.

"Hey Lana, Whitney." she said with a polite smile.

"I haven't seen you around in forever, Harper! Where have you been hiding yourself?" Lana said, giving her friend a hug.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been so busy trying to keep up with everything,I haven't hardly had any spare time." Harper explained, expertly dodging the original question. She had to hand it to Lana, the girl was a master when it came to double questions. But Harper had become a master at deflecting them.

"Tell me about it." Lana agreed.

The two of them fell into an easy conversation and Whitney soon excused himself to go play a game with his friends. Harper wrapped her jacket tighter around herself and tried to conserve what little body heat she could. "I'll tell you one thing, if I get sick now, I'm blaming Chloe." she muttered. She glanced around, frowning when she realized she couldn't see any of her friends. "Speaking of, I should probably go find my trope."

Lana grinned. "Okay. I'll see you later. Call me, okay?"

Harper nodded with a smile and quietly headed off in the direction of the fire. She found Clark within moments, knowing he wouldn't stray too far. Chloe and Pete on the other hand were a different story. But for the moment, Harper was happy to stay where it was warm. She frowned when she realized Clark was only wearing one of the light jackets he used to work on the farm. "Jeez, you're like a human space heater." she muttered when she got close to him. The heat seemed to roll off his body in waves and the cold didn't appear to bother him. Realizing this, she quickly maneuvered her way into his arms. He chuckled the entire time, grinning down at her as she pressed her back up against his chest. Her mumbled voice reached his ears, making him laugh even more. "I should've done this sooner."

He wrapped his arms around her, effectively wrapping her in an electric blanket. She sighed in contentment, feeling the heat from him as well as the bonfire in front of them. Several raised eyebrows and curious glances didn't escape her notice, and she just rolled her eyes. "I better not catch a cold." she snapped eventually.

Clark chuckled, his chest vibrating against her back. "Nah, you'll be fine." he responded. "You're a tough girl. You'll survive."

She wanted to reach up and flick his forehead, but that would require moving her arm away from the radiating heat, and she was too comfortable to do that. "Imagine me smacking your forehead." she said, glancing up at him.

He grinned and rested his chin on top of her head while they stood there, listening to the idle conversation among the teenagers. The music was loud behind them and it was a wonder anyone could hear anything. But Harper had learned quite a bit about Clark's abilities over the past months, which included his enhanced senses. She frowned as she realized the loudness of their surroundings was probably bothering him. "How do you not have a headache?" she asked, still frowning as she tilted her head back to look at him.

Clark shrugged in response. "I've learned to block out what I don't want to hear."

She nodded before seeing Chloe come up to them. Her eyebrow arched as she asked a silent question. Chloe just rolled her eyes.

"I just gave him my number to make him leave." she said. "It's not like he's gonna call anyway." She looked around as if searching for someone. "And I for one, am froze. Where's Pete? The party wagon is leaving."

Harper snorted. "It's not that cold. And since when do you decide when my party wagon leaves?" she asked.

Once again, Chloe rolled her eyes. "You have a human heater, of course you're not cold. And since the rest of us are freezing our tails off out here."

Harper giggled. "Fair enough. I don't know where he's at but I'll find him." She untangled herself from Clark's arms, shivering when the cold air hit her once again. She glanced around before seeing him move towards one of the other two fires. "PETE!" she bellowed, her voice carrying over the music and causing several people to look in her direction. Clark and Chloe just shook their heads at her, grinning when their vertically challenged friend jogged over to them.

"Dang girl, you should try out for choir. You got a mean set of pipes." he said.

"No thanks." she said. She had no desire to be a songbird, as the rest of the school had nicknamed the choir. "Come on. We're freezing and heading out. Want a ride or not?"

The rest of the weekend went by without much excitement. Chloe hadn't received a call from Sean, which no one was surprised about. And if that jerk ever did make a move on Chloe, Harper would be there to kick his butt into next week. Clark may be more reserved about the bad blood between them and the football players, but Harper had no qualms about letting them know what she thought. And while they had been on their way into the building that morning, Sean came up to Chloe and tried to make excuses for himself. Harper had growled and was about to put herself between him and Chloe when he had run off to some other chick.

She angrily slammed the press into the espresso machine, scowling just thinking about it. She sniffled before turning her head into her sleeve and letting out a sneeze. She had been doing that all day, and she hoped that she wasn't going to get sick. A familiar voice caught her attention and she turned her head. She saw Lex and Lana standing and talking about a brochure that Lana was holding. She couldn't see too well from where she was at, but it looked like the Metropolis museum. Whitney approached them not too long after, and Lex quietly excused himself before he came face to face with the quarterback. Harper knew the two of them had met on more than one occasion, and it looked like it took all of Lex's self control not to throw a punch at the arrogant teenager. Like Harper, he made no effort to hide his feelings toward Whitney. But he was trying not to get himself arrested for assault. Harper grinned at the thought. It looks like she wasn't the only one who was extremely protective of her friends. She saw Lex move over to his favorite leather chair and she smiled as he picked up one of the small menus.

She finished the cappuccino she was currently working on before picking up her order tablet and heading out towards him. He looked up when he heard footsteps coming towards him, smiling when he saw her. "Hey Harper."

A smirk crossed her features as she took a second to sit across from him. "Hi, Alex." she responded.

His frown of disapproval was all too evident, making her laugh. She had learned early on in their friendship that his full name was Alexander, but he hated it, and the shortened form Alex. The only name he even remotely liked was Lex, which is what he went by all the time. Harper liked to antagonize and tease him by calling him Alex. It wasn't often that she did it, only when she was in a particularly good mood and felt like ruffling his feathers. "I'm sorry, Lex. You know I couldn't resist." She turned her head and coughed into her sleeve. He frowned at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She let out a quiet groan as she felt the beginning of a headache behind her eyes. "Nothing I won't live through." she muttered in response.

"Are you sure?" he asked with a skeptical look. "You don't look like you feel very good."

Harper shrugged. "I don't. But I have a job to do and homework to finish. Plus, no one else here seems to know how to change a coffee filter. What can I get for you?" She used the germ x that was on the little table just in case it was more than her allergies acting up.

"Have you been around anyone that's been sick?" he pressed. "Besides, if you don't feel good, you should go home. The Beanery isn't going anywhere and neither is your homework."

She scoffed and tried to hold back a cough. "If you saw the kind of chemistry homework I have to do, you would know why I need to get it done now." she said. "But no, I haven't been around sick people. Surprisingly, I don't make that a habit. I like to keep my health in tact, thank you. But I was outside for a few hours Saturday night though. There was a bonfire by Crater Lake."

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half smile hearing her sarcasm. But he frowned once he heard her whereabouts from the weekend. "It was five below Saturday, Harper. What were you thinking?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I know. Stupid teenager making stupid decisions. Actually, I blame Chloe. She dragged me out there." she muttered.

Lex narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yeah. It was stupid. But hey, if it taught you a lesson about being out when its that cold outside, then maybe it was worth it."

Harper glared. "Believe me, lesson learned. Now, do you want something to drink or not?"

He smiled and stood. "Hang on." She rolled her eyes and remained seated, waiting for him as implied. He walked up to the counter and started talking to Julie, the manager of the Beanery, while nodding his head back at Harper. Julie nodded with what Harper would call an overly flirtatious smile and Lex turned back around. He approached Harper and stopped before holding out his hand. She raised an eyebrow at him before grabbing it and allowing him to pull her up. He reached behind her and she felt her apron come untied. "You don't need this anymore." he said. He tugged on her hand, which was still held in his own, but she didn't move. She gave him a disapproving look.

"Lex-"

"Harper, don't argue with me." he said sternly, tugging on her hand once again.

She sighed but allowed him to pull her along, her small hand engulfed in his. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers before she realized he stopped. He grabbed her signature brown bomber jacket and handed it to her. She smiled softly and took it, putting it on quickly. She noticed the curious stares as she followed Lex out to his car. He opened the door to his new silver Porsche and waited for her to get in. He shut the door when she was situated and went around to his own side, glancing at her as he got in. He chuckled when he saw her crossed arms and irritated expression. "You'll thank me later." he said, starting the car.

Harper rolled her eyes but quickly covered her mouth when she felt a sneeze begin to tickle her nose. He smirked at her to which she glared. "Shut up, Lex." she muttered.

"I didn't say a word."

"You didn't have to."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, the drive to her house not long. But in the few minutes she spent in the car, she felt the headache beginning to worsen and the urge to cough became more frequent. She got out of the car and began to make her way towards the stairs before Lex even turned the car off. He quickly followed her, making sure she got in the house without injuring herself in the process. In the time he had known her, he had realized she was extremely accident prone, especially when she was distracted. She let out a quiet groan after another cough and he set his hand on her back.

"Do you want me to call Grant?" he asked. "I can have him here in an hour."

Harper gave him a small smile and shook her head, immediately regretting the decision. The pounding increased and her vision blurred slightly for a moment. "I'll be fine." she muttered. "Probably just allergies."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm so sure. Do you need anything? Is your mom home?"

"No and probably not. She usually comes down if she hears the door." she responded, glancing at the stairs. She wasn't looking forward to making the long trek up to her bedroom. "...thanks Alex."

"I'll let that one slide this time because you're sick. But you're welcome." he quipped with a half smile.

"What, no I told you so speech?"

He looked mildly offended. "What? Me? Never." Then he chuckled quietly and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "You need rest. But if you need anything, call me."

She nodded. "Thank you, Lex. I would hug you, but I wouldn't want to infect you with death." she muttered.

"I would prefer if you didn't." he agreed. "Feel better." He made sure she was on her way to the stairs before leaving, locking the door behind him. Harper smiled softly as she began the 'long' walk up the stairs. Once she reached her bedroom she quickly stripped off her jeans and t shirt, exchanging them for much more comfortable pajamas. In the process, she let out a particularly big sneeze, her hand flying up to her mouth. She cringed when she heard a thunk, the loudness hurting her rapidly amplifying headache. She looked up to find several books attached to the ceiling, held up with her telekinesis. She groaned at the thought, dropping her hand. Immediately, the three large books began a rapid descent to the floor. Not wanting another loud noise she held her hand out to stop the books midair.

"Great." she mumbled. "Just great."

The time passed by slowly, the seconds bleeding into hours with agonizing slowness. Her parents weren't thrilled when they realized she was sick, but they agreed to let her fight it off herself instead of getting a doctor involved. She had managed to hold off the flying objects long enough for a brief conversation with them. But her symptoms were getting worse. If she even thought about coughing or sneezing, something would go flying across the room. She had managed to keep the noise to a minimum, not wanting to draw anymore attention to herself. Lex had called her that morning to see how she was doing and once again offer the services of his physician. She was glad for the conversation. It gave her a brief respite from the quiet and loneliness. She had always hated being sick. But this brought her hatred up to a whole new level. Clark had come by that afternoon to drop off the homework she had missed and pick up what she had managed to finish as far as her previous homework was concerned. He held back a chuckle as he caught a picture frame that was hurtling towards his head after she let out a sneeze.

"Do your abilities act up when you're sick?" she muttered, hoping he would be able to help her get it under control.

He shook his head, a defeated frown on his face. "I'm sorry. Since my biology is different than humans, I don't get sick."

Harper growled. "Lucky." She grabbed a Kleenex and blew her nose. "Being sick sucks."

"I'll take your word for it." he said. He looked down at the papers in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "You still managed to get your advanced chemistry homework done? While being sick?" he asked, looking it over. He didn't understand the intricate workings of chemistry, but he knew the basics. And what she had been doing was way more advanced than he ever considered. And from his standpoint, the quadratic formulas and sophisticated equations looked correct and impressive.

She shrugged. "Need to keep my grades up." Harper looked at the alarm clock beside her bed to check the time. "Chloe said something about coming by this afternoon. Have you heard from her?"

"I saw her on my way over. She was working on some last minute things for the Torch."

Harper groaned. "I forgot I have an article due this week." she grumbled.

Clark chuckled and gently pushed her shoulder. "I'm sure Chloe will understand. She might even give you a free pass this time." He smiled when he saw the corner of her mouth turn up in a half smile before she went into another coughing fit. Thankfully, nothing went flying this time. "I should go. And you should get some sleep."

Harper nodded and smiled at him as he walked out. Maybe she could use a little nap. She took a couple of Tylenol to help with her ever increasing headache and crawled back under the covers with a small yawn. Within no time, her eyes slid closed and she fell into a restless sleep.

A few hours later and she was awoken by a knock on her bedroom door. She groggily called out for them to come in as she tried to force herself into a sitting position. Her eyelids were still heavy with sleep and she scrubbed a hand down her face as she tried to wake herself up. The door freaked open and Chloe stepped in, a smile on her face. Harper groaned and fell back onto her pillow. The hours she spent trying to get her homework done were beginning to catch up to her. Now she was both physically and mentally exhausted. "Hi Chloe." she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Hey. How ya feelin?"

"Like a million bucks." she grunted.

Chloe laughed. "Nice to see you still have your sense of humor." she said. "You're never gonna guess what happened today. Two inexplicable things in one day."

"That's a little weird, even for Smallville." Harper agreed, once again fighting for a sitting position. She had the urge to cough again and her eyes widened slightly when she saw the notebook on her desk begin to levitate, but thankfully, Chloe's voice snapped her out of it.

"Agreed. Clark is going to Metropolis tonight with Lana. I actually just got done offering him fashion advice."

Harper raised an eyebrow. "Like...a date?" she asked, her thoughts still sluggish as she tried to keep up.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "He claims it's not, but I think it is. Whitney stood her up to do something with the football team."

She scowled. "I'm not surprised." It was typical of Whitney to abandon Lana when something came up with 'the guys'. It was as if they were more important to him than she was. Harper had tried to warn Lana, but her friend was headstrong and determined to find things out the hard way. But she was glad that Clark was taking the opportunity to get closer to her. Harper knew how her best friend felt about the cheerleader, and while she thought it was rather cliché, she would support him.

"And you're never gonna guess who called me."

Harper frowned. "Who?"

"Sean."

Life seemed to flow back into Harper. Her eyes darkened and she leaned forward in a protective manner. The hair on the back of her neck stood up at the sound of the linebacker's name. She didn't want that slime ball anywhere near her friends. "What did he want?" she hissed.

"Whoa, calm down, H!" Chloe said, raising her hands as if to placate her friend. "It's okay. He wanted to apologize for blowing me off today."

Harper raised her lip in a sneer. "You like him?" she asked. "That guy is trouble."

Chloe shrugged. "He may be a little bit intellectually challenged, but he's really hot. Besides, he begged just to get together tonight and talk. So I told him to bring me a coffee at the Torch."

"That sounds dangerously like a date." she snapped. "Be careful, Chloe. He's more than just a heart breaker."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It's not a date. It is a fact finding mission to see if he deserves a date."

"Trust me, he doesn't." Harper deadpanned. When she saw the small frown forming on Chloe's face, she sighed and relaxed slightly, sinking back into the bed. She sniffles and sneezed a couple times, but thankfully nothing went flying. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Chloe's frown turned into a smile. "Don't worry, Harper. If Clark can take a risk with Lana, then I figure I can take a shot too."

"Just...be careful." she said with a defeated sigh. Most of her friends were all alike; stubborn, headstrong, and full of pride. Come to think of it, that's probably why they were her friends. They were the only ones stubborn enough to put up with her.

"I will. I've got to go. But feel better. And I'll call you tomorrow to check on you, okay?"

Harper nodded and watched her friend leave. Something was wrong, but Harper didn't think she had the strength or energy to find out what it was. So with quite a bit of effort and another throbbing wave of pain in her head, she began to search for her phone to call Clark.


	9. I Don't Know Why - Imagine Dragons

The next day, Harper felt better than she had the past two days. Her sneezing and coughing had subsided, leaving her with only a mild headache and a stuffy nose. Thankfully, along with her sneezing and coughing, her power fluctuations had disappeared as well. She was glad too. She had almost impaled her mother with a lamp but managed to stop it before her mother could see what was happening. She managed to drag herself out of bed that morning and get ready for school. She pulled on a long sleeve shirt, smiling when she realized which one it was. It was her souvenir from the night she spent at Lex's mansion several months ago. For as long as she had it, the shirt still smelled like spices and scotch. She grabbed a pair of black jeans and her grey converse before heading downstairs. She wasn't totally a hundred percent yet, but she knew she couldn't miss much more school for the quarter. So with her mother insisting she wear a coat and a beanie before leaving, Harper managed to get to school right before the bell rang.

Half asleep and with a pounding headache throughout most of the day, she made it to lunch without telekinetically throwing anything. Clark caught up to her with a concerned frown. "Shouldn't you be at home? In bed? To get better?"

She sniffed and gave him a nonchalant shrug. "Pft, who needs sleep when school tortures you to death?" she asked.

"Harper, I'm serious, why aren't you at home?"

She groaned. "Clark, if you had ever been sick, you would understand. Being cooped up in the house for three days isn't exactly my idea of fun. I'm probably going to regret ever leaving my bed, but at this point, it's worth it."

He sighed. "Fair enough. Going for the lazy teenager look today?" he asked, finally taking in her appearance.

"You know it."

"Isn't that Lex's shirt?"

"Also true."

Clark smiled and shook his head. "I'm glad my two best friends are getting along. It would suck if you hated each other."

She snorted and moved to sit at the table in the back of the cafeteria. "So I'm being replaced, is that it?"

"I never said that."

She suddenly remembered what Chloe had told her the night before. She smacked his arm, to which he looked at her in surprise. "Why didn't you tell me you had a date with Lana?" she hissed. "You're supposed to keep me informed of these things."

Disappointment flashed across his features. "We, uh, didn't go." he said sadly.

She frowned. "What? If she stood you up, I swear I'm gonna-"

"No, no, no, it wasn't her, Harper."

Her confusion was obvious. "Then what-"

"When you called me last night, Lana and I were on our way to Metropolis. Lex loaned me his driver and limo so we could go in style. There was a tv report about Sean. And then you called me." he explained, reaching for the greasy slice of pizza.

Her eyes widened. "You mean I ruined your date?"

Clark chuckled. "No, you didn't. Sean did. After you called, I decided it would be a good idea to check up on Chloe. And it's a good thing I did, too. She was attacked. Harper, Sean tried to kill her."

"WHAT?!" she screeched, earning the attention of the entire cafeteria. Clark stared up at her in surprise as she suddenly pushed her chair away from the table, the metal feet squealing against the floor. "Why didn't you tell me?!" she demanded.

"Harper, you weren't in any condition to-"

She didn't give him a chance to finish. She left her tray, grease slab and all, sitting on the table as she stormed out of the cafeteria in search of her second best friend. The entire night, Harper had a bad feeling about Chloe meeting Sean. She knew she should've done something about it, sick or not. She should've dragged her butt out of bed to make sure her friend wasn't in any danger. As she continued stalking towards the school newspaper, she continued mentally berating herself. The door slammed open when she stepped inside, making Chloe jump.

"Harper, you scared me!" she exclaimed.

Harper walked up to Chloe and yanked her out of her seat before wrapping her arms tightly around the other girl.

"Not that I mind this sudden show of friendship, but what's wrong?" the blonde asked.

"Why didn't you call me and tell me what happened?" Harper asked, pushing her friend back by the shoulders. "Clark told me what happened with Sean. Are you okay?" she asked, looking over Chloe for any injuries.

"I'm fine, Harper. I didn't call because I didn't want to worry you. And because I knew this is how you would react."

"What, wanting to defend my friend?"

"No, going all overprotective and mama bear." Chloe teased with a good natured grin. Harper however was not in the mood for jokes and frowned at Chloe.

"This is serious, Chloe. Clark said he tried to kill you."

"That's true. But he didn't succeed, did he?"

"...no."

"And that's the important thing!" Chloe smiled and turned to her desk. She reached for a folder and handed it to Harper. "But I think the Wall of Weird is about to expand."

Harper curiously opened the blue folder to find autopsy reports, photographs, blood sample analysis, and hand scribbled notes. She flipped through the pages, frowning when she came to the blood. "Who's blood is this?" she asked, looking through the rest of the analysis.

"When they were examining what was left of Jenna, they found frozen blood under her fingernails. They think it belongs to Sean. Why?"

Harper turned so Chloe could see what she was looking at. She pointed to a number. "This. See how low this is?"

"Yeah...but what exactly am I looking at?"

"This is called micro RNA. There's no way it should be this low."

Chloe frowned in confusion. "What is micro RNA?"

Harper tried to bring the scientific explanation down a few notches. "It's a biological marker that helps to determine whether or not a person has radiation poisoning. It's not a standard test that people run, so whoever did this had to be looking for something specific. Whatever Sean was exposed to gave him a massive dose of radiation." she explained. "Last time anyone saw him before he was...mutated...he was at Crater Lake."

Chloe's eyes widened as realization hit her. "The largest crater created by the meteors! Everyone knows that there are meteor rocks at the bottom of the lake. Do you think...?"

Harper nodded. "It's definitely possible. I mean, we've seen weirder." she said. "Do you think you can get your hands on this sample?"

Chloe frowned but nodded. "Maybe. I'll talk to my connection at the morgue and at the hospital. Between the two of them I might be able to get it. Why? What're you thinking?"

Harper continued flipping through the pages, her eyes flicking across the words. "I want to analyze it myself. If I can confirm that's the cause of the low RNA, then we've got a place to start in identifying meteor mutants." she explained. The thought of being able to track them down easier and either stopping them before they go on a rampage or recruiting them before someone else did was admittedly a scary one. It would also give her a way to keep herself and Clark hidden from the rest of the world.

"Harper, I really don't think they'll let you use the chem lab for anything like that. And I doubt one of the twenty dollar kids toy microscope would get us anywhere." Chloe pointed out.

Harper closed the file and smiled. "You're forgetting that one of my best friends is a billionaire with unlimited resources and a state of the art lab at our hometown LuthorCorp plant." she said with a smug grin.

Chloe smacked her arm, but wore a good natured smile. "Right. I forgot you have our resident playboy wrapped around your finger."

Harper rolled her eyes. "I do not have him _wrapped around my finger,_ Chloe. Besides, I could say the same thing about you and your sources all over town." she quipped. "I'm just good at getting what I want."

Chloe returned the gesture. "Come on, H. Not even Clark could weasel some of the things out of Lex that you have."

Harper just shrugged. "Call it what you want. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another period left before I have to leave."

"Oh, Harper! There's a memorial service for Jenna this weekend." Chloe said, stopping her when she was halfway out the door. "I know you guys weren't super close, but I know that you knew her."

"Yeah..." Harper said, looking down at the floor. That was just another thing for her to feel guilty about. If she had just gotten herself together when she realized something was wrong, then maybe Jenna would still be alive. "Thanks, Chloe."

Another hour and a half later saw Harper walking into the Beanery. She knew she should probably go home, especially with how much she had done that day already, but she knew with her mother fussing over her, she would never get the peace she needed to work on the analysis. She ordered a large latte before making her way to the back of the café to her favorite spot. She sat in the worn chair and emptied the contents of her messenger bag onto the coffee table. She had gotten everything she could on radiation research, advanced radiology treatments, chemical engineering, side effects of prolonged radiation exposure, and the like. She also had Chloe make a copy of the autopsy report and blood tests. She thanked the waitress that brought her drink before diving headfirst into the paperwork. She had a notebook that was rapidly being filled with scribbled formulas and theories.

"So you're well enough to bring your homework to the Beanery but not enough to call."

She jumped at the sudden voice in front of her, scowling when she saw Lex. "What have I told you about sneaking up on me?" she muttered before picking up her notebook to once again scribble down a line of numbers and chemicals. Lex leaned forward to look at the upside down research.

"That if I keep doing it, you'll string me up on the battlements of the mansion." he responded absentmindedly. "But I distinctly remember not only calling your name, but also almost stomping over."

She hummed in response, not really paying attention to what he was saying. Her headache had steadily been getting worse, and with the noise of the café around her and now Lex's voice, it felt like she was hearing nails on a chalkboard. Finally, Lex rolled his eyes and snatched the notebook from her hands. "Hey!" she snapped. She reached forward to grab it back, but he leaned backwards out of her reach. She huffed and crossed her arms. "It's not polite to grab things when someone's trying to write." she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow as he realized what her scribbles meant. "Biochemical engineering and radiological effects on the human body?" He looked up at her in surprise. "A little heavy for highschool homework, don't you think?"

She glanced away, not really ready to explain herself yet. But she knew Lex would keep pressing and prying until she told him what he wanted to know. A trait that the two of them had in common but was nonetheless frustrating. "It's not exactly homework..." she said. "Last night, Chloe was attacked by this kid named Sean. He almost killed her, Lex. We think that his body had a reaction to the meteor rocks in Crater Lake. I just wanted to do some cross checking and referencing to be sure." she said, deciding to get it over with.

He frowned at her. "This wouldn't happen to be the same kid that decided to storm the mansion last night, would it?"

"What do you mean?"

He sat across from her in what happened to be his favorite leather chair in the café. "Last night I had the Kents over. I was trying to convince them that I'm not a carbon copy of my father. Clark came to warn us when this kid decoded to go on a rampage. Knocked out both generators and the main power. I'm not exactly sure what happened to him."

Concern flooded her features. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes running over him to make sure there were no injuries that she could see. "Clark didn't tell me that. Are Martha and Jon okay?"

Lex was no stranger to Harper's protectiveness and concern for her friends, so her actions made him smile. "I'm fine. The Kents are fine."

"How come nobody thought to tell me this?" she asked while crossing her arms. "I might be a little sick but I'm not dead."

"Clark probably didn't want to worry you. I know I didn't." he replied, trying to calm her down. "Everything is okay now, got it?"

She huffed in response. "Fine."

"Now, tell me about this research you're doing. Why so interested in this kid?"

Harper tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and handed him the blood analysis. He looked it over and raised an eyebrow, seeing what had caught her attention. "It's a fairly new technique to discover radiation in the body. We don't know what kind of stuff is in the meteor rocks. Besides, I don't think Sean has been the only one affected by them."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously. I mean, what nine year old goes bald?"

She glared. "I'm serious, Lex. The meteor rocks are changing people's DNA. First this Jeremy guy, and now Sean? This can't be a coincidence."

He sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here? Give everyone in Smallville a blood test?"

Harper shrugged. "I don't know. But this is a start, at least. It might come in handy in the future, you never know. It's not exactly the best method, but it's still a start."

Lex gave her a thoughtful look. "You're right. What do you need?"

"What?"

He nodded to the paperwork that had been scattered across the table between them. "I don't think a highschool newspaper is the best place to set up for an investigation like this. What kind of equipment do you need?"

"Basically a whole chem lab. They'd kick me out of the one in school if they knew what I was doing. A good computer wouldn't hurt either. The dinosaurs at the Torch aren't exactly the speediest things in the world."

He gave her the crooked half smile that he wore oh so well. "Done. One catch though."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You come work at LuthorCorp. I know, I know, you want to work for the position you get," he continued, interrupting her when she opened her mouth to protest. She was surprised at the speed to which he interjected before she even started talking. "But if someone works to get you, don't you think that sweetens the deal a little bit?"

She shut her mouth and her lips shrank to a thin line as she thought it over. He had a point. But she was stubborn and reluctant to admit that out loud. "I'll have to work my schedule around school..."

He raised both eyebrows and gave her a cocky smirk while tilting his head slightly to the side. "Is that a yes?"

She let out a groan. "Fiiiiiiine." she drawled. "It's a yes."

He grinned. "Good. I'll have a lab set up for you within the week."

Harper scowled playfully at him _. Yeah right, Chloe. Like I'm the one with_ him _wrapped around my finger._ she thought.

"Come on. I'll drive you home. You look like you're about to fall over."

She nodded, not willing to put up much of a fight. She was exhausted and there was no denying it. She quickly gathered all her papers and shoved them into her bag before standing and following Lex outside. She had gotten used to people giving them odd, curious, and even jealous looks a long time ago. She was too tired to think much of it as they headed outside. He opened the car door for her before heading around to his own side. Once he was in, he turned to her, a flirtatious but humorous glint in his eyes. "You know..." he started, looking her over. "You look good in my clothes. You should wear them more often."

She rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "In your dreams, Luthor. Now focus on the road."

Lex chuckled but did as he was told, heading towards her house. Harper glanced at him before settling on staring out the window. She had learned early on in their friendship that he was quote the flirt and a tease. She knew their friendship had come into question from several people, including her parents, wondering if their teasing meant more than either of them thought. But she also knew it never meant anything to them. She valued their friendship too much to let it mean anything, and she was pretty sure he felt the same way. She felt her eyes growing heavy and she sighed, leaning her head against the door. When her breathing evened out, Lex looked over at her with a small smile, reaching out and brushing a piece of hair behind her ear before turning his full attention back to the road.


	10. Closer - Sleeping With Sirens

Over the course of the next week, Harper had completely gotten over her brief bout with sickness and was back to her regular routine. She was up before dawn every morning to o out to one of the fields on the Kent Farm for her meditation and exercise. It got quite chilly in the early mornings, but she had learned to embrace the cold, even using it to help hone her focus. She would go on a run with Clark (who kept his super speed to a minimum) afterwards to help control her energy and breathing. After that she would go home for a shower and to get ready for school. After her last period she would head over to the Beanery and then LuthorCorp. She still hadn't told her parents about her new job, partially because she wanted to see how it went first. Once she made it back home for the night, she was exhausted. On occasion, she didn't even make it to the Kent house before she had to call Clark to come and get her. She was running herself ragged and she knew something had to give. But she wasn't sure what. But on the upside, she and Chloe had made progress on the meteor front, and they know knew that only certain genetic markers made a person a target for that kind of effects. Lex had given her a state of the art lab with equipment that would make Einstein jealous. He also had three more scientists on call for whenever she needed them. She was currently flipping through some files that hadn't been whisked away when Lex had the lab cleaned out for her. She frowned as she read them over, looking up when she heard the door open.  
  
"Harper, what are you still doing here? I figured you would've been long gone."  
  
"Hey, Lex." she said absentmindedly. She didn't even bother looking at the clock anymore; she just left when she got her work done. "Just looking at some old files."  
  
"It's almost eleven, Harper. You need to go home. Or do you want me to take you to the Kents?"  
  
Her icy eyes continued scanning the documents, widening when she realized what they were. "Lex, what's Level Three?" she asked, looking up with a confused frown.  
  
"What?" he responded, just as confused. "We don't have a level three."  
  
Harper handed him the file. "Your father begs to differ." she said dryly. "Isn't that his signature authorizing those illegal tests?"  
  
Lex took the papers from her hand, looking down with furrowed brows. As far as he knew, there was no project called level three. But then again his father wasn't exactly the most honest person in the world. And it was no secret that Harper didn't trust the man as far as she could throw him. But sure enough, there was Lionel's signature. "I don't know what this is." he said with a frown, handing it back to Harper.  
  
She crossed her arms. "Lex...I know you're just running a business here, but if you're lying to me-"  
  
"You honestly think I would do that?" he interrupted, a hurt expression dominant as he looked at her. "If that's what you think, then you don't know me as well as you think you do." he said.  
  
She sighed, knowing her words were going to turn around and bite her. "That's not what I meant, Lex. There are parts of your life that you don't talk about and that's _fine_. But this is important. Your dad is a snake, completely untrustworthy. I like to think you're the opposite, and I'm trying to convince both my parents and the Kents of that. I'd like to think you wouldn't lie to me about anything, but we both know that's not true." she said, trying to amend her statement. She knew the billionaire had his secrets, just like she had hers. And as much as she would like complete honesty between them, she knew it just wasn't going to happen. "Is this one of those things that we don't talk about? Because I would rather it be that than have you lie."  
  
Lex gently grasped her arms and looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "I'm doing everything I can to make sure that the trust you put in me isn't misplaced." he said. "I promise, Harper, I have no idea what Level Three is. There's not even a third floor in this plant."  
  
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." she said quietly. "But Lionel was up to something."  
  
Lex knew his father had been keeping things from him, including important information about the Smallville plant. And the fact that Harper was starting to uncover those secrets scared him. His father was a ruthless and often times merciless man. He didn't want his young friend getting involved in anything that could hurt her. His grip on her tightened, and the pleading tone he took didn't boost her confidence at all. "Harper, whatever it was, just drop it. Please." he begged. Lex Luthor wasn't one to beg for anything. And Harper knew that. So seeing him like this practically scared the daylights out of her. "When people dig into my father's less than legal activities, things go south. I don't want you involved in this. Please, just promise me you'll drop it."  
  
"Lex-"  
  
"Promise me."  
  
"I promise." she said quietly. Lex sighed in relief and brought her towards him. Harper was surprised to find his arms wrapping around her small frame tightly. He wasn't an affectionate person, so having him surprise her with an impromptu hug just added to the scare factor.  
  
"Thank you." he responded just as quietly. "I don't want you caught up in anything that has to do with my father. Especially not anything like this."  
  
She nodded against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat beneath the maroon silk. She didn't know what to say, so she just stood there, allowing his pulse to slow before she pulled out of the embrace. "I wouldn't mind a ride home." she said after a moment. Clark had driven her out to the plant to give her a lecture on being cautious, especially working with the meteor rocks and knowing her abilities could be affected. So she was stuck.  
  
"Grab your coat." he replied. She nodded and went to pick up the garment while Lex picked up her notes and tucked them safely into their file. He also picked up her homework, which was advanced algebra and trigonometry, to put them in her bag. "You know, I've got some contacts at Metropolis University. If you're looking for a career that has anything to do with engineering, I'm sure I could pull a few strings and get you accepted. Unless you had higher ambitions, like Harvard or Yale."  
  
Harper rolled her eyes tiredly. "I don't plan on going to any of your fancy frat boy colleges, Lex." she said. "And if I decide to go to Met U-"  
  
"Then you want to be accepted for your skills, not my money." he recited, finishing the end of her sentence. He chuckled and shook his head. "You and Clark never cease to amaze me, Harper."  
  
"Why?" she asked, buttoning the coat and looking at him with a small smirk.  
  
"I can and _have_ offered the two of you anything you could ever want. But you still won't let me use my connections to help." he said, shaking his head as he handed her the bag. "It amazes me that the two of you have such drive and ambition."  
  
She snorted. "Clark? Ambitious?" She chuckled. "That's rich. Most guys have some weird aversion to asking for help. I guess it makes them feel less masculine or whatever. But Clark doesn't have any problems asking for help. He would gladly come to you, not because he knows you feel _obligated_ to help him or because you have the money to flaunt, but because he trusts you and he knows you would _want_ to help him. But it's no secret how Jon feels about the whole Luthor family. That's why he's reluctant to accept your help." she explained.  
  
He frowned. It made a lot of sense when she explained it like that. He had gotten to know the two teenagers over the past couple months, and he knew she was right. Clark wasn't afraid to admit when he was in over his head. But that still left one mystery. "That explains Clark. But what about you?" he asked, opening the door for her as they headed out.  
  
She chuckled. "Me? I'm as stubborn as they come. I get that from my dad, actually. I don't know when to quit, especially not when I'm ahead. I know what I want out of life, but I want to accomplish it _by myself._ I might need help, but I refuse to ask, because once again, I'm so freakin stubborn."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "I can see that. You're also extremely smart. You know how to get what you want, especially from people who don't want to give it up." he responded, opening the car door. She smirked and leaned over the top of the door, standing on her tip toes to do it. There wasn't much space between them and he silently raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Are you speaking from experience?" she asked, the smirk never leaving her face.  
  
"Maybe a little." he responded, his eyes flicking down to her lips. Her teeth had caught a small section of her lower lip, drawing his eyes to the movement. "How can I say no to you?"  
  
Her smirk turned cocky as fast as he blinked. "Simple really. Just one syllable. Two letters." Without answering him further, she dropped down into the black sports car. He huffed and closed the door, shaking his head as he walked around to the other side.  
  
"You make it so difficult to put up with you, you know that, right?" he said, flashing her a playful glare when he got in the car. She just giggled, not responding. A comfortable silence fell over them as he drove her back to town. But it wasn't long before he broke the silence again. "I've noticed your schedule is rather full." he commented. "Full time highschool student, part time job at the Beanery, somehow managing to tutor Clark in Chemistry, and then on top of that, spending five or more hours at LuthorCorp."  
  
She sighed, knowing this conversation was inevitable, whether she had it with Lex or Clark, or even both. He forgot to mention being up before dawn to hone her mental focus and develop her telekinetic powers, run with Clark to improve her endurance, and try to keep it a secret from her family and other friends, as well as keeping up with the things she had to do around the house. But she put on a smile. "It's nothing I haven't done before."  
  
"How much sleep are you getting?"  
  
She frowned, trying to figure it out. Getting home anywhere from eleven to midnight and then still being up until about two in order to do homework and chores, and then waking up no later than six, she was only getting four or five hours of sleep every night. "Well..."  
  
He sighed. "Harper, if you keep going like this, you're going to burn yourself out. Either you pick something that has to go, or I will."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"  
  
"You've been working at LuthorCorp for under a week, and I can already see the toll it's taking on your mental and physical health. Either cut some things out, like the Beanery for instance, or I'm revoking all your access to the plant."  
  
"You wouldn't." she said incredulously.  
  
He took his eyes off the road long enough to give her a serious look. "Try me."  
  
She huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine." she muttered. "Give me a week to get everything sorted out with Julie."  
  
He glanced at her once again. "Okay," he agreed. "But for that week, you're not allowed to step _foot_ on LuthorCorp soil. Understand?"  
  
She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine, _Dad."_  
  
Lex sighed, making Harper feel a twinge of guilt. She knew he was only looking out for her best interests, but at the same time, she didn't really think it was any of his business how she spent her spare time (or lack thereof). "Alright, look. I'll take the week off if you let me take a computer." she mumbled.  
  
Lex glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why? So you can continue working and run yourself ragged?"  
  
"So I can keep working but be able to stop and go to bed whenever I need to." she quipped.  
  
He sighed. "Fine. Deal."  
  
She grinned, knowing she had him right where she wanted him. Looking back to her conversation with Chloe several days ago, she thought maybe her friend was right. They finished their ride in a comfortable silence, Harper eventually drifting off. Lex glanced over in surprise when he felt a weight settle on his arm, and he realized Harper had shifted positions and was now using him as a pillow. A small smile crossed his features as he continued driving. He let his mind wander as the sleek sports car glided down the road. Over the last couple months, he had grown rather fond of his teenage friends. He would roll his eyes at their stupidity and immaturity on occasion, but he also wasn't the most adult person either. He felt as if he could let his guard down around them, especially Harper, which he knew to be a dangerous threat. His father hadn't been the best parental figure in his life, but if there was one thing Lionel taught him was that he always had to watch his back. He shouldn't ever allow himself to get too close to someone.  
  
What Harper said earlier really felt like a knife to the gut. The fact that she knew he wasn't always going to tell her the truth tugged at his conscience, berating him for something he had yet to do. Harper and Clark trusted him when others didn't. They had faith in him when others let their views of his father get in the way. He knew that friendship was based on honesty, trust, and loyalty. He knew without a doubt he could provide the last two things, but always being honest wasn't going to happen. And all three of them knew it. With Lex being in the line of work, and the family, that he was in, there were risks involved for anyone who knew too much. He reasoned with himself that by lying to both Harper and Clark, he was keeping them safe, protecting them. But deep down, he knew he was only protecting himself; only looking out for number one, just like his father taught him. The fact that he recognized that and still didn't so anything to change it made the inner fire of self hatred blaze. If he had to keep it up, he didn't know how he could stomach the thought of being in the same room as Harper and Clark, much less be their friend. He sighed quietly as he pulled up alongside her house, his knuckles turning white from the force he gripped the steering wheel with.  
  
Lex's baby blue eyes found Harper, who was still napping against him. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and he leaned over, gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, pipsqueak." he said quietly.  
  
She groaned and ended up looping her arm through his and holding on tightly, as if she were snuggling a pillow. "Five more minutes..." she mumbled.  
  
Lex chuckled quietly. "Come on, half pint. You're home. And you need to go to bed." Harper groaned again, refusing to move. Lex shook his head in amusement, leaning his cheek against her head. "Either wake up or I hold you down and tickle you."  
  
She cracked one eye open and sleepily looked up at him. "Could do more than tickle me." she slurred, still half asleep and not fully registering what she was saying.  
  
Lex arched an eyebrow as her statement hit his ears. True he knew she didn't realize what she was suggesting, but it didn't stop his mind from going in that direction. Mentally berating himself for thinking about his friend (and a seventeen year old highschool student no less) like that. "Fine," he said. "Have it your way." He reached over, his fingers immediately drawn to her sides where he knew she was most ticklish.  
  
Harper's eyes instantly flew open and she let out a yelp before trying to bat his hand away. He laughed at her antics as he continued to lean towards her, pushing her back against the car door. "Lex! Stop it!" she said in between bouts of laughter. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh only egged him on, those two things having been absent for some time. He ended up pinning her wrists to the door with one hand while the other mercilessly attacked her sides, her laughter filling the small vehicle.  
  
He smirked when he finally stopped to let her catch her breath. "Whatcha gonna do?" he asked cockily, looking at her with the half smile half smirk that she had grown to both love and hate. Grinning wickedly, Harper leaned forward enough to take him by surprise when she suddenly pressed her lips against the tip of his nose, jerking her hands free from his now slack grasp. She quickly scrambled out of the car before Lex even realized what happened. She put her bag over his shoulder as he rolled down the window and leaned towards her. "You missed." he said coyly.  
  
Harper snorted. "I hit right where I was aiming, Luthor. Now I need sleep. You make a lousy pillow anyways. So I'm going to bed and you're going home." she said.  
  
"Bossy much?"  
  
"As always." she responded. "But you wouldn't have me any other way."  
  
He chuckled. "Bye, Harper."  
  
"Bye, Alex!" she teased with a smile. He gave her a playful glare before rolling the window up, but staying put long enough to make sure she got in the house before driving away. Harper walked inside, unable to wipe the satisfied smirk off her face. For once, she, Harper Scott, caught the billionaire by surprise, even rendering him speechless for a few moments. That was a win in her opinion.  
  
The next day Harper followed her normal routine. She was up before the sun even dared to peak over the horizon. She left a note for her parents telling them she was going to Clark's to help with the chores and go for her morning run. She started up her old truck and made her way to the farm, but not before stopping for an extra large coffee. When she did finally make it, she was surprised that Clark was already in the field waiting for her, several extremely large boulders with him. "What's up?" she asked, taking a drink of her coffee. That was the one thing she was going to miss about quitting the Beanery; it meant having to give up her keys and therefore her extremely early coffee runs.  
  
Clark smiled. "Good morning to you too." he said. She glared at him but didn't say anything as he continued. "I just wanted to check on your progress and see how you're doing. I know the only time you really want me to is when you need help, but I just wanted to see."  
  
She sighed and nodded. "Fair enough." she agreed. She hadn't been letting Clark help her with her training, mainly because she didn't want to take the chance of hurting him. Sure, she knew he was basically indestructible, but her protective nature was still in tact. There was something she had been really excited about, however, and was just about bursting at the seams to tell him. She had hoped to get a little more practice in before the big reveal, but as long as he was here, so be it.  
  
"Actually, there's something I want to show you."  
  
"Show away."  
  
"You remember the first time I started this whole training thing and I made the rock explode?" she said, putting her coffee down and zipping up her jacket.  
  
He frowned but nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"  
  
"I've been thinking a lot about my abilities, and I wonder if what I have is actually telekinesis." she said, trying to figure out a way to properly explain her theory. "Yeah, I know I can move things with my mind and that's a huge factor of telekinetic abilities. What if it's not _just_ telekinesis?"  
  
His confusion became more evident. "What do you mean? Other abilities?"  
  
She nodded. "I've been doing some research, specifically into Chinese Monks, and apparently telekinesis is just manipulating your chi and turning it into usable energy, or some weird crap like that. Moving things. Not making things explode. Think about it, Clark. You have multiple abilities."  
  
"Yeah, because I'm an alien. You, on the other hand, are human."  
  
"Not anymore, I'm not."  
  
"What?"  
  
She waved her hand, dismissing that particular bit of information. "Not important right now. I'll show you all my research and notes and findings later today. What is important is that I think I've developed something called Atokinesis. Everything in the universe is made up of atoms, right?"  
  
"...right..."  
  
"Exactly! When I reach my hand out, it's like I can _feel_ the atoms that make up the object, and I _know_ I can manipulate them. I know how every little thing around me is made, how many atoms are in each blade of grass, or in every tree. All I have to do is make those atoms expand or contract, and I get either an implosion or an explosion."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait. Slow down. This is why you're the science geek. Explain it in simple terms."  
  
She huffed in annoyance. "I make things go boom." she deadpanned.  
  
Clark rolled his eyes. "Obviously. In terms that I can understand, explain your theory as to why."  
  
Harper took a deep breath. "We've established everything is made up of atoms."  
  
"Right. Basic building blocks of the universe."  
  
"Correct. Everything, a person, a rock, a tree, has a specific number of atoms, a specific density, and a specific mass."  
  
"Okay, still following."  
  
"When an unknown force causes those atoms to shift, to make them bigger or make them smaller, there is a physical reaction." she explained. Judging by the look on his face, he understood, so she kept going. "When you mate the atoms bigger, the object explodes." she said. She turned and held her hand out to one of the smaller rocks. Almost immediately, it shattered apart, in an explosion that she contained by simply guiding the shards harmlessly back to the ground. "When you make the atoms smaller, the object _implodes."_  
  
She held her hand out to another rock and narrowed her eyes. The rock began to crack and sliver, and a loud crunch was heard as the thick rock collapsed in on itself. Dust flew from the space it had once occupied, leaving only an imprint in the ground to leave a sign of its existence.  
  
Clark's eyes widened. "Maybe you're onto something." he muttered.  
  
She grinned. "I'll show you my research and everything later. But now it's time for our run. You ready speedy?"  
  
He returned the smile. "Only if you are, short stack."


	11. White Tiger - Our Last Night

True to her word, Harper quit working at the Beanery, much to Julie and Zoe's dismay. And Lex was right. With one less thing on her plate, she felt so much better. Her homework was done on time, her research went on for a few hours after school, and she found herself getting the sleep she needed. She had promised Lex that she was going to take some down time and not do a lot of work, and she kept her promise. Harper kept the meteor research to a minimum so far, not going past a couple hours at a time. She also found that she had more spare time than she knew what to do with, so she usually spent it hanging out with any of her friends. A rumor of a party at Clark's house that night was going around and she wondered what that was all about. She knew Jon and Martha were celebrating their anniversary, but she couldn't believe they would let him have a party while they were gone. She was currently finished with her last class period for the day, ending just after one, and didn't have anything else to do. Sighing to herself knowing that no one was going to be willing to skip their classes. So she headed out to her old truck, shivering when the chilly October air hit her. As she waited rather impatiently for her heater to start working, she rubbed her gloved hands over the steering wheel to try and make it touchable. When the heater finally warmed up enough, she took her gloves and scarf off, throwing them onto the seat beside her. Her parents weren't expecting her home until seven, so she had some time to kill. She grinned as she pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
About twenty minutes later, she was pulling into the garage at the Mansion. The staff had gotten so used to her and Clark coming and going that they didn't even bother to ask her why she was there. They let her roam free as she pleased, most likely per Lex's instructions. Harper was proud of herself for learning to navigate the labyrinth like halls of the castle and she was now able to find what she needed in no time. She hummed to herself as she walked through the mansion before reaching her destination. The good thing about having a billionaire for a friend was that they always kept their kitchens well stocked with anything one could possibly want.  
  
"Hi, Ruth." Harper said with a smile when she stepped inside the large kitchen.  
  
The redhead looked up at her. "Hey, Harper. How are you?"  
  
Harper ran a hand through her curly hair, sighing as she did. "Tired. I had to skip lunch to get my History essay done on time." she said, reaching for the fridge.  
  
Ruth chuckled. "Sounds like high school."  
  
Harper agreed wholeheartedly and grabbed several ingredients out of the fridge. "Do you know if Lex had lunch yet?"  
  
Ruth shook her head. "He's been holed up in his office all day, hasn't eaten anything. Anyone tries to come in and he throws them out. Something to do with his father, I think." she said.  
  
Harper frowned. She knew Lex's relationship with his dad was strained, to say the least. It put him under a lot of stress when he had to deal with Lionel. And she didn't really blame him. She met the man for no more than five minutes and she couldn't stand him. It took everything she had not to stand there and put Lionel in his place, or at least knock him down a few pegs. But it was her own fault for wanting to make a good impression. "I'll make sure he eats." she said.  
  
Ruth nodded. "Remember, he hates avocados."  
  
Harper paused in slicing, the fact just hitting her. "Then why do you keep them around?" she asked with a confused frown, looking to the cook.  
  
She laughed again. "Because he knows you like them."  
  
Harper shook her head. "One of these days, I swear I'm going to make him like my guacamole." she muttered. Ruth just smiled and continued putting the dishes where they belonged.  
  
"There should still be some bacon in the fridge from breakfast if you need it. Just clean your mess when you're done."  
  
Harper grinned and nodded. The woman wasn't much older than herself, maybe in her mid twenties. But she sure knew how to cook, as Harper had experienced on various occasions. No wonder Lex hired her. And she didn't care whenever Harper would come in and make herself at home in the kitchen as long as she made sure everything was clean when she left. Harper turned on the radio that was kept in the kitchen, country playing quietly through the speakers as she waited for the toast to pop up. Once it was done, she made two sandwiches, one minus the avocado. Slicing them in half and putting them on plates, she also grabbed two bottles of orange soda from the fridge (which was another thing kept in stock for her benefit) before heading to Lex's office. She munched on a piece of bacon as she walked, the bottles and plates balanced perfectly. She opened the door without knocking and raised an eyebrow when an angry voice greeted her.  
  
"I thought I said I didn't want to be disturbed."  
  
Harper snorted as she kicked the door shut. "I never have been good at following directions." she said as she walked towards him.  
  
He looked up in surprise, guilt flashing across his features. "Harper...I didn't expect you to be here today..."  
  
She grinned. "Another thing I'm so well known for; my spontaneous appearances. You never know when I'm gonna show up."  
  
He rolled his eyes before scrubbing a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you." he said, eyeing the plate and drink she sat in front of him.  
  
She sighed. "Maybe if you were nicer to the staff and didn't yell at them for minor interruptions, they would be more willing and patient." she said, recalling the raised eyebrow and silent pity on one of the guard's faces as she approached the office.  
  
Lex nodded, looking off to the side. He knew she was right. He never had dealt with stress well; it was always vented on those around him. "I'm working on it." he muttered.  
  
"Good." She pushed the plate towards him, cracking open her drink. "Now, eat. Ruth said you haven't eaten anything all day." She saw him begin to open his mouth to argue but she cut him off with a glare. "I swear, if I have to force this down your throat Lex, I will, and you know it. Just eat the freakin sandwich. I worked hard on these."  
  
He promptly shut his mouth and reached for the food, surprised that she had gone through the trouble to make sure he would eat. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when the flavors hit his tongue. "This is really good." he said around a mouthful of food.  
  
Harper rolled her eyes. "Don't talk with your mouth full. Bad manners." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she proceeded to let out a rather loud belch.  
  
"And you lecture me about manners." he muttered.  
  
She grinned. "Not bad manners, just good food."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even taken a bite."  
  
"But I know it's going to be good, I made it."  
  
He sighed. "You're impossible at times, you know that?"  
  
Her grin only widened. "I know. But you love me anyway." she teased.  
  
He smiled and let out a quiet chuckle. "What brings you to the mansion, Harper?"  
  
She shrugged. "I was bored. Finished with school for the day. Ended up having to skip lunch, and I knew Ruth had the best kitchen in Smallville. Figured hanging out with my friend would be a plus if I decided to visit."  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not the best company at the moment." he admitted, taking another bite of his sandwich.  
  
"What'd he do now?" she asked, knowing immediately from the tone of his voice what the problem was.  
  
A wry half smile crossed his face as she grabbed another rolling chair, putting her feet up on the glass desk as she waited for his response. "My father is insisting on more work, more profit, more _everything,_ but with less workers." he said bitterly.  
  
Harper frowned. "Isn't that the way businesses are normally run?" She may not understand all the politics involved in owning and running a business, but she got the basics.  
  
"Yes, but that's not how I want to run _my_ plant."  
  
Realization dawned on her. "You're actually trying to do something good for Smallville." she said. "You want to give people jobs and give them honest wages. Show them that not all Luthors are alike."  
  
"Exactly. But my father is trying to put a stop to that."  
  
She scoffed. "Tell him where to shove it."  
  
He smiled at her abrasiveness. "It's not that easy, Harper."  
  
She shrugged. "Sure it is. He's the one who put you in charge, so its your decision how to run the plant. He has no business sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Next time he tries to meddle, tell him that. If you don't, I will."  
  
"I admire your willingness to stand up to my father. Especially on my behalf. That means a lot. But there's no telling what he'd do to you if you actually spoke to him like that."  
  
She groaned. "Lex, if you don't ever stand up to him yourself, he's going to keep walking all over you. I know it's not the easiest thing in the world to do, but this can't keep happening. Especially if you ever want a chance to make a name for _yourself._ Trust me, people will take advantage of every weakness they can find."  
  
He regarded her thoughtfully. "Such wise words coming from such a young woman."  
  
"Are you, in some round about way, saying that I'm right?"  
  
"I never said anything of the sort." he denied while finishing off the sandwich.  
  
Harper rolled her eyes. "You should. It's true."  
  
He snorted and shook his head with a smile. "You're right, Harper. I'll be waiting for the right time to make my move. But not yet."  
  
She grinned at him. "Thank you, I know I am. And you're treating this like a war game."  
  
"With my father, especially in business, everything is a war. But it's anything _but_ a game, pipsqueak." he said, nudging her feet with his elbow.  
  
She sighed and ran a hand through her curly hair before leaning back against the chair. "Well, if you need a sergeant in your war, General, then you know where to find me." she said.  
  
Lex raised an eyebrow. "You offering to fight in my battles?" he asked, draping his arm over her ankles.  
  
Harper gave him a soft smile. "That's what friends do for each other, Lex." she said. Her ice blue eyes watched as he returned the smile with a quiet chuckle and began to fiddle with the laces on her converse.  
  
"Yeah, I guess they do." He seemed to get lost in thought, and Harper sat there, watching him think as he mindlessly toyed with the shoelaces. The thought suddenly struck her that she didn't find him unattractive. Quite the opposite, actually. Her eyes were drawn downwards when he tucked his bottom lip between his teeth. She frowned briefly when she saw the scar she knew he sported. She had seen it before of course, but she was just now wondering how he got it. Come to think of it, there were a lot about the bald billionaire she didn't know. True, each person had their own secrets. She had a pretty big one she was hiding herself. But he had left her with more questions to ponder than she would like. The Luthors were secretive by nature, she knew that. And she wondered how much it would take to get Lex to finally open up to her. She wasn't expecting him to bare his soul to her, but she did expect a little more than what he had given her. Since finding out about her powers three months ago, she had almost, on several occasions, let it slip to him. She had the urge to tell him more than once over the last few months. It didn't feel right _not_ telling him. But Clark was right; the more people who knew what she could do, and especially people with unlimited money and power, the more danger she was in. The thought continued to pound into her conscience, like the nails being driven into her proverbial coffin.  
  
But maybe, just _maybe,_ Lex would understand. Maybe he wouldn't think she was a freak. Maybe he wouldn't want to strap her down and experiment on her. Maybe he would want to help her understand her powers more so that she wasn't completely in the dark. She had several questions that she didn't think she could answer on her own, especially without raising suspicion. She sighed quietly, the internal battle that was raging in her thoughts exhausting her. She now understood how difficult it was for Clark to keep his secret from his best friends.  
  
Lex seemed to be jerked out of his thoughts at the sound, and he looked at her with a small frown. "You okay?" he asked.  
  
Harper gave him a half smile and shrugged. "Yeah. I'm fine."  
  
His frown deepened and he tipped his head slightly to the side. "Harper, when are you going to realize that it's pointless trying to lie to me?"  
  
She chuckled quietly. "I forgot, you're a businessman and had Lionel Luthor as a father. Who _could_ lie to you?"  
  
"Exactly. Tell me what's wrong." he said softly. His eyes were focused on her, patiently waiting to hear whatever she had to say. Harper couldn't help but melt a little when he looked at her like that.  
  
She opened her mouth to respond, another lie quickly formulating in her brain, when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. His attention was drawn and she let out a subtle sigh of relief. The door opened to reveal Kathy. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mister Luthor, but you have another visitor."  
  
Lex raised an eyebrow, refusing to move, while Harper just craned her neck over the back of the chair to see who was stepping in. She shouldn't have been surprised to see Lionel striding in, but she was just a little. She groaned quietly, and Lex nodded at her once, letting her know that he agreed. Neither of them moved from their positions while Lionel pursed his lips. "Have I interrupted anything?"  
  
"Actually, yeah. You have." Harper said bluntly, crossing her arms while Lex shot her a look.  
  
Lionel looked between the teenager and his son, who still had his arm draped over her legs. "My apologies. Lex and I have some business to discuss, if you would excuse us, miss Scott."  
  
Harper looked to Lex for confirmation. He was frowning at his father, but he looked over at her and nodded once. "I'll see you later, pipsqueak." he said.  
  
Harper nodded and untangled her legs before standing. Oh how she would live to send a statue flying towards Lionel's smug smirk. That would sure give him a reason to hate her. But she decided to play it safe for now. She gave Lex a small smile and dropped her hand onto his shoulder before walking out. He returned the gesture, reaching up to clasp her arm gently. Lionel watched the interaction with keen eyes, and Harper could feel him stare as she walked away.  
  
"What do you want, dad?"  
  
A half hour later, and Harper stepped into her house with a sigh. She hadn't realized she spent several hours with Lex, just enjoying each other's company. It was amazing how time got away from her when they spent it together. She felt a vibration in her bag and began digging around for her phone while climbing the stairs. She smiled when she saw the caller ID. "Hey, Clark." she said.  
  
" _Hey, H. You doing anything tonight?"_  
  
"Ummm, I don't think so. Why? What's up?"  
  
_"I was gonna have you, Chloe, and Pete come over. I might even invite Lana."_  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Are your parents okay with that?" she questioned.  
  
" _Yeah, I asked them earlier. As long as it's only a few people, they said okay."_  
  
Harper rolled her eyes. "When did you invite Chloe and Pete?"  
  
_"This morning. Why?"_  
  
"It was going around the school that the reclusive Clark Kent was throwing a party tonight. I doubt its just gonna be the five of us."  
  
She heard a mumbled curse which made her laugh. _"Do you think you could come help me do damage control?"_  
  
"I'll have to check with my mom, but probably. Is the big, bad, invincible, powerful Clark Kent afraid of a few teenagers?"  
  
She could picture him rolling his eyes. _"No, I'm afraid of my parents."_  
  
"...agreed. I'll be there to keep the idiots under control."  
  
" _Thanks, H."_  
  
"No problem, Kent."  
  
It took a while for both her parents to get home, but they agreed to let her go to Clark's, especially when they heard he would need help to keep everyone in line. Her mother just laughed it off, saying all highschool parties started out as small gatherings. She left the house at about nine, knowing it wasn't going to be an early event. A pair of ripped grey skinny jeans adorned her legs, paired with Clark's old black boots and Lex's sweatshirt. The baggy shirt was tucked in at the waistband in the front, hanging off one shoulder as she put her hair in a messy braid. She frowned as she was pinning a part of the braid up, realizing she didn't have enough bobby pins, and if she let go of the braid to grab some, it would lose shape. Grinning to herself, she looked over at her dresser where the bobby pins lay. Narrowing her eyes slightly and concentrating, two pins began floating towards her. They sped closer and she turned and angled them so they would fly into her hair at just the right spot. She smirked in victory when her task was complete. Harper looked herself over in the full length mirror, smiling at her reflection. All together, her outfit didn't look that bad.  
  
She grabbed her leather jacket off the hook of her bedroom door before heading out to her truck. She hugged her parents goodbye, letting them know she probably wouldn't be home until late, and made her way out to the Kent Farm. When she got there, the chaos had already started. Shaking her head, she parked in the barn and headed inside. She found Clark looking around a roomful of loud music and dancing teenagers helplessly. She grabbed his arm and shouted over the music. "This is what you call small?!" she demanded.  
  
He looked more panicked than she had ever seen him. "Do you even know half these people?!" he shouted back.  
  
Harper raised an eyebrow and looked around, noticing several seniors who didn't normally hang around the freshmen. She recognized most of them but didn't get a chance to tell him before he screamed at someone else.  
  
"Hey! Watch the glass!"  
  
Harper's eyes widened and she thrust her hand out, catching the vase midair, giving Clark a chance to grab it before it went crashing to the floor. She shook her head and went searching for Chloe. She found her and Clark in the kitchen attempting to clean up the mess. "See, Clark, this is what you get for inviting us at school. Someone always overhears and blows it out of proportion. Next time, just call ahead."  
  
Harper grinned at the lecture while Clark looked like a scolded child. He really didn't think the whole thing through and knew Chloe was right. She shook her head and joined them, grabbing a mountain of plastic cups and throwing them away. She and Clark were going to have their work but out for them once this was all over. But, he was her best friend, and as the first time he had a party while his parents away, she was obligated to make sure he stayed out of trouble. When she turned around to ask him something, she saw him standing in the living room, talking to Lana. Harper bit back a growl. He was playing a dangerous game. Lana was dating Whitney and Harper knew Clark was going to do or say the wrong thing and it was going to get around to Whitney and they would once again have a fight on their hands. Harper didn't really feel like playing referee and decided to let Clark dig his own grave for once. It would be good for him to learn the hard way once or twice. She turned back to the kitchen with Chloe and tidied the space as much as they could, glaring at anyone who walked in. It wasn't much longer before everyone jumped from a loud boom outside, and Harper pushed her way to the front door, even using her telekinesis to shove people out of the way. Most everyone was too drunk or high to know what was happening. Thinking on her feet, she grabbed the wireless phone as she passed the adapter, realizing it would be a good idea to have that on or near her.  
  
"You're full of surprises tonight, Clark." she muttered as she walked past him.  
  
"Yo, H! How cool is this?" Pete said with a grin as he looked up at the fireworks that painted the night sky all different colors.  
  
"Pete, why didn't you just call the cops? It woulda been much easier." Clark deadpanned, obviously not amused.  
  
"I can't claim credit, it wasn't my idea." he responded, raising his hands I surrender. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Clark's rage at the moment.  
  
"It was mine." Everyone turned to see none other than Lex Luthor strolling casually up to them, hands in his pockets. "Call it a party gift. Hope you like it."  
  
"I do, it's just..."  
  
Lex chuckled. "Don't worry about the police, I got it covered. I know a party like this can make or break a reputation. I wanted to make sure yours was a hit."  
  
Harper crossed her arms. "See, this is why we don't talk about parties at school, Clark." she said. Lex looked to her, a half smile adorning his features as he glanced at her outfit.  
  
"She's got a point." he agreed.  
  
Clark was on the verge of throwing his hands in the air while Harper just chuckled. "You admitted to me being right twice in one day?" she said. "Is the sky falling?"  
  
Lex glanced up at the night sky. "Define falling." he replied, watching as another round of fireworks were fired off. "So, I hear you're visiting my plant tomorrow." he said, turning his attention back to Clark. Surprised, Harper turned to her friend.  
  
"You didn't tell me that."  
  
"Class field trip." Clark muttered in response, glancing to Pete.  
  
"What's you do wrong?" Lex asked with a good natured grin.  
  
Clark looked less than enthused. "That bad, huh?"  
  
"Noooo, it's not." Harper defended, smacking Lex's arm. "You were right, Clark. They do more than fertilizer there. Lex currently has me researching alternative methods to Chemo for cancer." she said.  
  
Clark and Pete both looked surprised. "Really?"  
  
Lex smiled while Harper knocked her shoulder against his arm. He opened his mouth to say something when Lana came running up. "Clark! You better come see this."  
  
Frowning, both Harper and Clark made their way to the barn. They saw Whitney in the loft, holding a pitchfork. "Kent, get up here." he said, not taking his eyes off the blanket in front of him. Clark climbed up with a flashlight, frowning as he did. He grabbed the blanket and yanked it away. "Ha! Gotcha!" Whitney exclaimed.  
  
"Whoah, I know him, back off." Clark said, gently pulling Whitney backwards. Harper frowned and jumped up, eyes widening when she saw who was there.  
  
"Earl? What are you doing here?"  
  
Shaking slightly, the man looked back at both of them. "I need your help..."


	12. Secrets - OneRepublic

The past few days had Harper slipping in and out of consciousness. The bullet had nicked an artery close to her heart which caused a lot of internal bleeding. She lost a lot of blood, and for a while, it was touch and go. Who knew such a small projectile could cause as much damage as it did? With her being in such close range of the gun when it went off, the bullet tore through her body with about as much care as a bull in a china shop. Her shoulder blade was just about obliterated, and she had quite a bit of nerve damage. Between the bullet wound and the amount of cuts the surgeon had to make to completely clean everything out, she was going to have quite a few scars to show for her 'heroism'. Not to mention the nice, shiny metal plate she now had in her body. The doctors were optimistic about her having full mobility once she recovered, but she would have to have a lot of physical therapy. Lex, for his part, had flown in some of the best surgeons and doctors he could think of, Grant being among them. He knew Harper trusted him and his opinion, and he wanted to make sure she would be comfortable with who was taking care of her.  
  
While Lex had been commuting back and forth from the mansion to the hospital, the Kents and Scotts had been staying at the hospital. He had insisted on them going home for a decent night's rest and for a good meal. He knew how horrible the med center food had to be. It took a lot of convincing, especially for Ken and Sarah, but he had finally managed to get them all out of the small enclosed room. Keeping themselves cooped up wasn't doing anyone any good, and Lex knew they were exhausted. It wasn't hard to tell, what with the dark circles under their eyes, the drooping eyelids, bloodshot eyes, and constant lines of worry. He had to basically shove them out of the room to get them to leave. Ken especially wasn't too fond of the idea of no one but Lex Luthor being in the room with his unconscious daughter. He somewhat held Lex responsible for what had happened at the plant, but he also understood that not even the Luthors could control absolutely everything in the world.  
  
Lex was currently dozing in the chair beside the bed, having exhausted the waiting room's supply of coffee. His coat hung on the rack beside him and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he dozed. Grant had been coming in and out to check on Harper's vitals, letting Lex know everything was okay. But his eyes immediately snapped open when a small groan hit his ears. He leaned forward and gently picked up her hand, dwarfing it in his. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing the ice blue eyes that he had missed. "Lex..." she said quietly, her throat dry and voice raspy from not using it.  
  
He smiled softly, gently squeezing her hand. "Hey pipsqueak."  
  
She closed her eyes against the light,to which he reached over and flipped them off. "Mmm...what happened?" she mumbled, trying to locate a glass of water to soothe her scratchy throat.  
  
Lex handed it to her, making sure she was able to lift it to her lips before speaking. "You, my friend, decided to try and play hero. It didn't work out so well. You got shot."  
  
She opened her eyes to stare up at him in confusion. "Shot?" He nodded once, his lips in a tight line. "What happened after that?"  
  
"It took a little bit, but Earl let everyone go. I went in to talk to him, and turns out, Clark wanted to play hero too. I got out with a scratch on the head. Earl's in jail and I've been looking into his claims. It looks like he was right all along."  
  
She frowned. "Level Three?"  
  
He sighed, squeezing her hand once again. "It's real. Cleared out and emptied, but real. You were right, Harper. I'm digging, but I have no idea what I'll find. My father buries his secrets deep."  
  
Harper nodded slowly before catching sight of the sling that held her arm. "What's this?"  
  
He looked down, another wave of guilt threatening to take him under. He felt responsible for what happened. "When you got shot...the bullet caused a lot of damage."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Bullets tend to do that, genius. I've still got my arm, so it can't be that bad."  
  
A small smile crossed his lips at her attempt at humor. Despite his guilty conscience, his spirits were lifted slightly when he heard her joke. But it all came crashing down again when he opened his mouth to speak again. "It obliterated your shoulder blade, Harper." he said, refusing to look her in the eyes. He ran a hand over his scalp, waiting for the accusations and insults to be flung at him. Instead, he felt her fingers skim across his cheek. When he turned to look at her, steely eyes appeared to stare into his soul.  
  
"Lex, don't do that." she said softly.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Blame yourself." she said. She closed her eyes briefly, a wave of pain hitting her and making the room spin. Her hand fell to his shoulder and grasped the fabric of his black shirt to stabilize herself, grounding her mind in the real world instead of letting the pain drag her into darkness once again. "What happened was _not_ your fault. You aren't responsible for what other people do, Lex. What happened was completely out of your control. I don't blame you. Heck, I don't even blame Earl. If you really want to find someone to blame, then blame Lionel."  
  
He frowned as he listened, allowing her words to sink in before responding. "Taking on my father is a big deal, Harper. I'm doing what I can, which believe me is a lot, but still. He's a dangerous man, especially if someone crosses him. Which I've done too many times to count. I want you as far away from Level Three as I can get you."  
  
She looked up at him. "Meaning?"  
  
He sighed. "I don't know. Your research is too important to have you leave the plant. And I can't very well send you all the way to Gotham. Just...try not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."  
  
She let out a chuckle before grimacing in pain. When he saw her face contort, he was on his feet in seconds. He briefly poked his head out the door to call for Grant before appearing by her side once again. He placed one hand beside her head to brace himself as he leaned over, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "It's gonna be okay." he said quietly.  
  
When her eyes opened again, she couldn't decipher which Lex was actually the one leaning over her with a worried expression. She let out a quiet groan before drifting back into darkness. Lex was quickly pushed out of the way by Grant, who checked her vitals and gave her an extra dose of morphine. Running a hand over his head again, Lex dug into his pocket, looking for his phone. He had promised to call the Scotts if anything happened with Harper.  
  
The days passed by slowly for Harper. Constantly being stuck in the hospital room was nowhere near conducive to her mental state, as being cooped up would drive her up the wall. It took almost a week before the doctors thought it was safe to release her. She had daily visits from Clark, Chloe, and Pete. Her parents practically lived in the room with her unless forced out by Lex, who was beginning to earn Ken and Sarah's trust, even if only in the slightest. Lex had made sure Grant would be checking in and making house calls on her, always keeping an eye on her condition. She had to keep her arm in the sling for another two weeks and start her physical therapy by this time next week. She had her own problems and therapy sessions to run, but she would need Clark's help in order to do it. Lex had also sent home a computer and work for her to do so that she would stay busy. But she wasn't supposed to do a whole lot with her arm until the damaged tissues and nerves had a chance to heal and her body had a chance to integrate the new metal plate.  
  
Harper had always been one to work through the pain, never letting it slow her down. Between all the broken bones she'd had from skateboard crashes and falling off horses, she had pretty well learned her limits. But this was something completely different, something she hadn't dealt with before. Trying to move her arm even the slightest bit almost tore a scream from her throat. It felt like all the muscles and tendons were being slowly torn apart . She glowered at the sling her arm was in. The bullet wound didn't even hurt that much. Sure, it stung like heck and was a little tender, but it was the newly attached metal plate that gave her the most trouble. The doctors had allowed her to go home with a strict list of guidelines for her to follow. She was supposed to take her pain medicine as needed, no lifting, bending, or anything of the sort, no moving her arm, and no constant up and down motion. She was supposed to start physical therapy soon, and she wasn't allowed to drive for three months to give her shoulder a chance to heal.  
  
Being as active and energetic as she normally was, being cooped up in her room was going to be the death of her. She was allowed to wander the house, but she couldn't go up or down the stairs very often. It wasn't even a full two days into her house arrest that she tried to break the rules. Clark caught her trying to do more than wiggle her fingers and gave her a pointed look. She just rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated huff. "What else am I supposed to do?" she asked.  
  
"Follow Grant's directions." he replied with a small smile. He tilted his head slightly as he watched her float a glass of water through the air. "Seems that little trick is coming in handy."  
  
She sighed before taking a drink. "Yeah. But then Mom comes in to ask if I need anything and I feel bad telling her no. Because I can float any freaking thing that I need over to me. She and Dad always look so worried. And I have to be careful of my timing so they don't walk in on me while I've got a pillow or my tv remote or my laptop hovering three feet in the air." she said with a scowl. Harper hated being reliant on others. Her abilities gave her the chance to be somewhat independent, but at the same time, she felt incredibly guilty by not allowing her parents to help her.  
  
Clark frowned. "I'm sorry." he said.  
  
She gave him a half shrug, grimacing when even the motion of her opposite shoulder set the injured one aflame. "God, this sucks." she groaned.  
  
He propped his feet up on her desk while leaning back slightly in the chair. "What was it like, getting shot?"  
  
Harper raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's the best you can come up with?"  
  
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Chloe was the one who wanted to come over here and barricade the two of you in this room until she got some answers for her story. I manages to talk her down."  
  
Harper snorted but grinned. "Typical Chloe. I love her to death but her constant reportering vibe gets on my nerves."  
  
Clark chuckled. "Yeah, you got that right. So? You gonna answer the question or do I have to bring in the big guns?"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Big guns?"  
  
He grinned and handed her a gift bag. She gave him a small, surprised look before reaching out to take it. When she got the maroon tissue paper out, she grinned up at him. "I love you, man."  
  
He chuckled. "I thought you might need a pick me up."  
  
Her grin didn't leave her face as she dug through the contents of the bag. There were several DVD cases, a few different types of candy, including Snickers and Kit Kat, and several small bottles of orange soda. But on top of it all was a dark maroon fluffy blanket. She reached out and grabbed his jacket, pulling him down to her level. He chuckled as she hugged him. "Now, make yourself comfortable. We've got a movie marathon to start." she said.  
  
Harper's determination never wavered over the next couple weeks. True to her nature, she grit her teeth and worked through the pain, probably pushing her boundaries farther than she should. With Clark's help, she had gotten back into a routine, albeit easy and unchallenging, of training. She was beginning to develop enough concentration to move things with only her thoughts, no outward action. She was starting out small but slowly going up in size. She was up to moving the potted plant around her room to various locations. Because of her injury and recent surgery, she wasn't supposed to do a lot of physical activity, which included her morning exercises. She would gripe and complain about losing whatever progress she had made on increasing her endurance and having to start from scratch when she got better. But it wasn't all bad. She kept up with her homework from school and the work that Lex would bring over. Her arm was still in a sling, which made it a little difficult to work one handed, but she managed. Chloe, Pete, and Clark were insisting on being her personal chauffeurs while she wasn't able to drive. Chloe was currently dropping her off at the mansion, where she planned on taking her latest work after her physical therapy session. The two girls said a quick goodbye, and with a little difficulty (and maybe some assistance from her abilities), she got both herself and the messenger bag out of the passenger seat of Chloe's car. When she was sure Chloe was out of sight, Harper took all the weight off her non-injured shoulder (which was developing quite the knot), carrying it along with her telekinesis. She made sure to keep it close to her side to avoid suspicion, but it was a relief nonetheless.  
  
The staff was used to Harper coming and going, even while she was injured. The maids would leave things within arms reach if she needed and the security guards would always help her with her bag or open the doors for her. She had started learning the names of all the staffers, and in the process, got to know them all a little better. She made her way through the halls looking for Lex, who she found in the gym. He looked up when he heard the door open, surprised to see her step in. He stopped the treadmill and slowly climbs down, grabbing a towel off a nearby rack to wipe the sweat from his face.  
  
"Harper, I wasn't expecting you today." he said. He didn't have an unpleasant tone, just seemed a bit surprised. She smiled at him, quietly shaking her head.  
  
"With as much as I come and go from here, you'd think that you'd get used to me randomly showing up. Specifically when you aren't expecting me."  
  
He chuckled as he cracked open a bottle of water. "I guess you're right. What brings you here this time?"  
  
She gave him a half shrug, carefully lowering the weight of her bag back onto her shoulder. "I finished up this week's research a little early, thought I would drop in and say hey when I brought it."  
  
He narrowed his eyes slowly as he took in her appearance. Black jeans had been tucked into knee high boots and she wore a light jacket draped over her one injured shoulder. "Uh huh..." he said, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. He knew how stubborn she could be, especially when she was injured. "How's the shoulder?"  
  
Harper allowed a wry smile to cross her features. "Still there." she said. "It's been weird getting used to the metal. It still feels like it might rip the muscles apart, but Grant said that would wear off once my body integrated the plate."  
  
He nodded as he took a swig of the water. "And therapy?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm always extremely sore afterwards, but it's nothing I won't live through." she said. "I'm supposed to start doing some simple stretches tonight to get used to moving it around."  
  
"Good, good."  
  
She huffed in annoyance. "Lex, I swear, if you start coddling me to, I will not hesitate to throw something at your head." she said.  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "You're not violent at all." he muttered.  
  
"I'm just tired of people treating me like a glass doll."  
  
Lex gave her a pointed look. "Harper, you got _shot._ If that's not a reason to coddle you, then I don't know what _is._ "  
  
"So?"  
  
He almost threw his hands up in exasperation. "That's exactly what I mean."  
  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You think this isn't a big deal. You think you can just bounce right back from this. Trust me, Harper, you can't."  
  
That made her pause. "...speaking from experience?"  
  
This time it was his turn to show a wry smile. "When you have the kind of enemies I do, there's really nothing you can get away from."  
  
Harper sighed. "Fair enough. Tell you what, if you watch a movie with me, I'll let you be as fussy as you want."  
  
He pursed his lips. "Can I pick the movie?"  
  
She tapped her chin. "If I get to make a fort."  
  
He laughed. "In your condition, I doubt you could do it by yourself."  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "Challenge accepted." she said.  
  
Lex quietly shook his head with a smile. "Let me get cleaned up. Since you suffered through Casablanca last time, I'll pick something a little more your speed."  
  
She grinned. "And I'll have the fort finished by the time you're done."  
  
The two walked out of the room together before heading in separate directions; Lex up to his room to clean up and Harper to the theater to get it set up. Once she reached the large room, she quickly grabbed a bunch of pillows in one hand while using the many blankets in the closet to construct the fort. She frowned in concentration as she tried to figure out where to put each blanket to keep it from falling apart, but once she did, the different sizes and materials were floating through the air with ease, each blanket fitting with the next like a piece of a puzzle. When she was satisfied it wasn't going to fall on their heads, she threw the pillows and a large, thick, and fluffy blanket on the ground inside. The opening in the front was wide enough to crawl through and to see the large screen in front of them. She did a sort of walking crawl through the opening, careful not to jostle her arm around that much. She stood up and looked at her work, a satisfied smirk on her face. She turned and headed for the kitchen in order to make a couple buckets of popcorn. She heard Lex coming down the stairs and go towards the theater. She grinned to herself, thinking about the surprised look he would no doubt be sporting when he saw her work.  
  
She moved around the kitchen easily, having gotten to know her way around. She hummed as she moved, items floating all around her as she worked. "Lex!" she shouted, trying to get his attention. He appeared moments later, and she smiled when she saw him in sweats and a t-shirt. She had kicked her boots off earlier, having left them in the theater by the door. "Grab this, would ya?" she said, gesturing to the bowl of popcorn and soda she had for him. She managed to grab hers in one hand as Lex kept a close eye on her. He picked up the snacks and followed her towards the theater.  
  
"How exactly did you do this?" he asked, a note of surprise in his voice.  
  
Harper grinned at him before standing on her very tip toes to peck his cheek. "Never make a bet with me, Alex. You'll never win."  
  
Her burst of affection stopped him dead in his tracks, the smile faltering momentarily. He had grown used to her open affection towards him. It never came as a surprise when she hugged him, looped an arm through his, or even held his hand briefly. But this was new. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it. He had to remind himself that this was Harper. She was his friend, his employee, and _only seventeen._ He was treading on dangerous ground. There was a line that he dared not cross, no matter how motivated he could be. He knew where his mind was going, but he rapidly snapped himself out of the almost drunken like stupor in order to get down on his hands and knees to crawl into the large, fluffy citadel. "Careful what you wish for, pipsqueak. You got lucky."  
  
She snorted. "Right. And all the other times I won the bets?"  
  
"Maybe I let you win."  
  
"Doubt it."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and play the movie." she said. Lex complied, pressing a button on the remote before settling down and making himself comfortable. Harper did the same but almost spit out her drink when she saw the titles begin to scroll across the screen. She turned to her friend and gave him an incredulous look. "Abbot and Costello?"  
  
He grinned. "I thought you liked classics?"  
  
She smacked his arm, frowning when it sent a jolt through her body and an unpleasant vibration through the metal. "I do, but I never suspected you would be one to like this kind of classic."  
  
He shrugged, but her flinch didn't escape his watchful eye. "My mom was the one who introduced me."  
  
She smiled softly. "I would've liked to have met her."  
  
He returned the expression. "I think she would've liked you."  
  
She noticed the way his tone changed when he talked about his mother. It didn't happen often, but he genuinely sounded happy. Whenever he talked about his father, there was always an underlying bitterness, and Harper could understand why. But when he talked about his mother, he was almost a completely different person. She was glad that he had something to be happy about in his life. She could understand why a person in his position could easily become bitter and unsocial, but Lex was the opposite. He didn't have any bad blood with people in general, and she could tell that he was trying to break the traditional stereotypes associated with the Luthor name. Knowing what little she did about his past and the way he was raised, it just amazed her even more how different he was trying to be. And honestly, it just made her care about him even more.  
  
Her mind reeled as she continued watching the movie. She wasn't really focused on the film in front of her as she leaned against Lex, as comfortable as she could get. With her arm in a sling, any position was difficult, but there were a few positions she could be in without hurting herself too badly. She saw Lex watching her out of the corner of her eye but she ignored it, instead munching on the popcorn that was in her lap. Over the last several months, she had been the center of gossip in town. People were always speculating that she and Lex were a couple. Considering how much time she spent at the mansion and plant combined, she could understand where the rumors came from. But they were completely baseless. She loved Lex, true, but as a friend, and maybe even a brother. She felt about him the same way she did Clark. But there were those few who constantly nagged her about the state of her relationship with the billionaire. She was an affectionate person by nature, and she wasn't afraid to show it, even in public. That's why people constantly thought she and Clark were together.  
  
But now that she spent an equal amount of time with Lex, people were beginning to make assumptions. She couldn't care less what people thought, but then the realization of the implications hit her. Lex was being accused of having a minor warm his bed at night. He could go to jail for that. Harper, her parents, and Lex knew that their relationship was completely above board, but the press could make a big deal out of an egg cooked on the sidewalk if they so chose. The thought that one of her best friends could actually be arrested just for being her friend was a sobering one, and one that sent her anger over the edge. Even if she and Lex were in a romantic relationship, what business of theirs was it? She would be eighteen in a little over a month, so who gave a crap? She was more than a little miffed at the thought. As she continued thinking about it, she subconsciously shifted closer to him, not even aware of the arm that had snaked around her waist. She slowly let her mind go blank to everything but the movie.  
  
In a little under an hour, she was fast asleep despite the caffeine she had practically inhaled. Lex's attention was diverted from the movie when her head rested on his chest and he felt the steady breathing that emanated from the teenager beside him. He let a soft smile show on his features before leaning down and pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Sweet dreams, pipsqueak." he said quietly. His arm tightened around her waist protectively as he looked back to the screen in front of him, feeling more content than he had in a long time.


	13. Save You - Simple Plan

Harper sighed as she looked around at the mess that was the Kent house. She ran a hand through her hair before dropping her jacket onto the back of a chair, quickly followed by the sweatshirt she wore the night before, leaving her in a camisole and black jeans. Clark was still at the hospital with Earl and she had promised him she would try to clean up as best as she could. Martha had called several times the night before, and thankfully Harper was able to answer the phone before anyone else could, but on the last call, she was running out of excuses as to why she answered the phone and Clark wasn't available. She groaned as she faced the mess once again. She really had no idea what she was going to do. She had a hunch that Jon and Martha would be back at any moment, and she had an entire farmhouse, plus the outside, to clean on her own. Chloe and Pete stayed with Clark while Lana had headed for home. "Well," she grumbled, "Better get started."  
  
She stood in the kitchen (which was still fairly clean from the night before, save for a few cups and pizza boxes) and narrowed her eyes at the living room. Cups, plates, and several other things she didn't care to identify began floating through the air, amassing in a pile in the middle of the hardwood living room floor. Once she was sure the trash had been compiled into one area, she downed half a water bottle in a couple gulps. Harper stood back a few feet and held her hands out in front of her, towards the pile. Using her breathing exercises, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind. She could picture the physical makeup of every single thing in the living room, but she focused on the large pile of garbage. Digging deeper until she could focus on the elements that made up each plate, cup, and cam, she moved her hands so that one was over the other, each with her fingers curved into claws. Slowly she brought her hands together, feeling the mass of the pile begin to decrease. Suddenly, it collapsed in on itself, the implosion leaving nothing but a huge pile of dust in the middle of the floor, contained to one area with her telekinesis.  
  
Harper sighed and brought the large black bag over to her, holding it open with one hand while the other carefully guided the debris into it. Once the living room was clean, she moved to the hallways and bathrooms, quickly repeating the sequence. By the time she was done, she had three garbage bags full and she quickly tossed them into the dumpster. By the time she was done, she was exhausted. She grabbed her half empty water bottle plus two more and dropped onto the couch, not having the energy to do anything more than that. She quickly downed all three bottles and sat up, needing more. But she was surprised to find Jonathan and Martha standing at the door, arms crossed and staring expectantly at her.  
  
"You guys are home early." she said, her tongue feeling heavy in her mouth. She moved to stand but quickly fell back into her seat. Concerned, Martha approached her.  
  
"We tried calling this morning and there was no answer. We thought something might be wrong." Jonathan explained while Martha helped Harper to her feet.  
  
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"  
  
Harper swayed back and forth, even with the support of the other woman. Jonathan moved to help her, and between the two of them, she managed to stay in one spot. "Training." she mumbled. "Haven't used my powers like that before."  
  
Jonathan frowned at Martha as they helped her into the kitchen. He looked around the room, noticing the mess of cups and plates. "Did you and Clark have a party last night?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
Harper shook her head, which immediately made her groan and lean all of her weight on the counter in front of her so as not to fall flat on her face. "Jus' Chloe, Pete, and Lana." she slurred.  
  
"And five pizza boxes?"  
  
She tried to shrug but failed miserably. "Lex." she said simply.  
  
Jonathan helped her to sit on a stool while Martha grabbed some more water and a couple granola bars from the basket on the counter. "You need to be more careful with your powers, Harper. You don't know your limits yet. If you keep pushing yourself like this, you're gonna end up crashing." she said, concern in her voice as Harper immediately downed the water she was given.  
  
"Where's Clark?" Jon asked, looking around for his son.  
  
"Hospital-"  
  
"What?!" Martha shrieked. "What happened? Who got hurt?"  
  
Harper held her hand up, catching her breath before explaining. "Heard a noise in the barn last night. Went to investigate and found Earl hiding. Said he needed help from you, Uncle Jon. He's sick." Her sentences were still fragmented, but she was beginning to feel slightly better after more water and some food. Martha was right; if she was going to continue using her powers strenuously like that, she would need to push herself harder during her training and keep her protein and hydration up.  
  
"What do you mean, sick?"  
  
Harper shrugged, the feeling of even lifting her shoulders like moving mountains. "Dunno."  
  
He sighed. "I'll head over to the hospital."  
  
Martha nodded. "I'll stay here with Harper until she feels better."  
  
Harper gratefully accepted the other bottle of water that was set in front of her. "I hafta work." she muttered eventually, watching with drooping eyes as Martha began working on breakfast. The red headed woman turned to look at Harper with a frown.  
  
"I'm sure Julie would understand if you called in."  
  
She shook her head, regretting the decision soon afterward. "I quit."  
  
Martha's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "When? And why?"  
  
"Started working at the plant." she explained slowly. "Lex wouldn't stop asking. Advanced research for cancer."  
  
Martha still looked surprised as she began to fry some bacon. "Honestly, I'm surprised it took you this long."  
  
Harper frowned, her groggy mind not quite understanding what Martha meant. "What?"  
  
Martha smiled at the young woman over her shoulder, the look knowing and almost sly. "Lex told me he was looking for students with aptitudes for chemistry and biology. He said he was starting a new research division. I pointed him in your direction, and I'm surprised it took you this long to accept his offer."  
  
Harper mulled over the statement, her mind beginning to speed up the longer she sat there, drinking water and munching on the granola bar she had been given. "I like to earn my privileges." she said slowly.  
  
Martha rolled her eyes. "You and Jonathan, I swear. You work harder than most people I know. I think you've earned the position you have at LuthorCorp."  
  
Harper shrugged again, finding the movement easier than just moments before. "I guess."  
  
"Contrary to what you might think, it wasn't just handed to you, Harper. Lex dug deep into all the candidates. But knowing you, you trumped Met U students. You're good at what you do, Harper. There's no shame in taking an opportunity that comes your way."  
  
Harper sighed, mulling it over. She knew Martha was probably right, but it was her own stubborn pride that was getting in the way. It wasn't much longer before their breakfast was finished, and Harper was feeling ten times better. She was also thankful that neither Jonathan nor Martha suspected a thing out of place with regards to the party last night, which was a surprise to no one but Clark. Having plenty of food and water, Harper began to make her way home while Martha headed to the hospital to visit Earl. When she got home, Harper was met by her father, who questioned her lengthy disappearance. She gave him a shortened version of events before quickly changing into a pair of blue skinny jeans and an old band shirt, her ever present converse adorning her feet while her bomber jacket fell across her shoulders. Her hair was still in the messy braid from the night before, and she didn't have time to change it before leaving. "I have to go to work." she said, grabbing a mug full of coffee before heading out the door.  
  
Ken raised an eyebrow. "Skipping school but going to work?"  
  
She shrugged, a good natured grin on her features. "I'm sure Principal Kwon will understand my lack of attendance this morning due to being in the hospital and questioned by Sheriff Miller." she said. "Besides, my last period ended a few minutes ago. It's not like the world is gonna end if I missed a single day of school."  
  
"But your grades might." he pointed out.  
  
She paused in her steps, cursing under her breath. "You're right."  
  
Ken chuckled at his daughter. "I'm sure it will all be fine. Tell Julie it was my fault you're a little late."  
  
Guilt surged through her conscience. "Actually, Dad, I need to tell you something." she said, sitting down on a barstool across from him. He promptly shut the newspaper he was reading and gave her his full attention.  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
She took a deep breath. "I quit working at the Beanery."  
  
He frowned. "But you loved that job. Why'd you quit? Did something happen?"  
  
"Nothing bad, I promise. Julie and Zoe did everything they could to talk me into staying, even offered me a raise." she said with a small chuckle, earning a smile from her father. "I've actually been trying out a new place for a few weeks. I wanted to see how it went before I quit the Beanery."  
  
He nodded. "Smart move. Where at?"  
  
"You know how I've been wanting to apply for an RD position at Wayne Enterprises?"  
  
"Yeah..." His eyes began to widen as he realized the weight of her statement.  
  
"Dad, chill, I haven't been driving back and forth to Gotham." she said while rolling her eyes. He let out a sigh of relief. "I've been offered a similar position and LuthorCorp."  
  
He frowned in confusion. "What would a fertilizer plant need a Research and Development branch for?"  
  
She laughed. "Because they do more than just fertilizer, Dad. LuthorCorp has its fingers in several cookie jars. Martha told me that Lex scoured the area looking for people with a biochemical and engineering background. I won out over Met U students. Can you believe that?"  
  
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I new my baby girl was smart, but I didn't know you were _that_ smart. What's he have you doing?"  
  
She laughed again. "Sadly since the plant has the closest lab, I have to work there. Otherwise Lex said he would have me in Metropolis. At the moment, I'm doing some research into cancer treatments. You know, alternatives to Chemo, that sort of thing."  
  
He nodded. "I know how important that is to you."  
  
Harper mirrored his action. She had been involved in several research groups over the years in regards to cancer. But none of them were able to keep up with her advanced research and knowledge. It was something extremely important to her. But not having the means and resources to continue, she had to stop. Thanks to Lex and his approval of the project, she's been making quite a lot of progress. "In my spare time, he also has me looking into the effects of the meteor rocks on people." she said. "I've actually found a connection between that and cancer cells. If I can splice specific cells and merge them with-"  
  
"Okay, you lost me."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "If I can combine cells, I might be able to make a treatment thats less harmful than chemo, and maybe even more effective."  
  
"That's amazing, Harper!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl."  
  
She smiled as she hugged him back. "Thanks, Dad." she replied. She saw the clock over his shoulder and released him. "If I don't leave, I'm gonna be late. Clark told me last night that they have a field trip there this afternoon. Lex asked me to show them around my lab and make sure they know LuthorCorp doesn't just deal in crap."  
  
He chuckled before ruffling her hair. "Alright, go on. Make your mark on the world."  
  
She grinned. "I will."  
  
About half an hour later, Harper was pulling into the parking lot at the plant. Her phone buzzed and she was surprised to find it was Clark who was calling. "Hey, Speedy, what's up?"  
  
" _I'm just now leaving the hospital. The whole class should be at the plant in about an hour_."  
  
"How's Earl doing?" she asked. "I know he and your dad are pretty tight."  
  
_"He was going on about working at the LuthorCorp plant here. He thinks that's what made him sick. You know how I get sick when I get near the meteor rocks?"_  
  
"Yeah, it's literally your only weakness." she replied with an eye roll, grabbing her bag and climbing out of the truck.  
  
_"Whenever I got near Earl, I started feeling sick like that. It was weird, and I don't think Earl is wrong about getting sick at the plant. Have you ever heard of a Level Three?"_  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks and the smile on her face faltered. "What did you just say?"  
  
_"...Level Three..."_  
  
She scrubbed a hand over her face. "When I was going through some of the old files in my lab that weren't cleared out, I came across some paperwork authorizing some pretty off the wall experiments. Guess who's signature was on them?"  
  
" _Lex._ "  
  
She shook her head. "Nope. Lionel. I asked Lex about it and he assured me he had no idea what Level Three was and that it didn't exist in the plant."  
  
She could picture his frown as the next words fell from his lips. _"Well..."_ The unspoken question was left to hang in the air.  
  
"I believe him, Clark. When I showed Lex the documents, he told me he would look into it. But he asked me not to dig. Practically begged. Seeing him like that made me a little nervous, Clark."  
  
_"He...begged...?"_  
  
"I know, it freaked me out too. It was almost as if he was afraid of what Lionel would do if he found out. Lex might not admit it to anyone, not even himself, but he's afraid of what his father is capable of." she said. "I promised him I wouldn't go digging. But my best friend is literally six feet tall and bulletproof. You can do the digging for me."  
  
He sighed. " _I'll find out what I can. Be careful, okay? I know you've been working with the meteor rocks for your research. But...just be safe."_  
  
"Promise." she said with a small smile. With that, the line went dead and Harper made her way into LuthorCorp, heading down to her lab. She quickly tidied everything up to make it presentable. Lex said they wouldn't be spending very long in her lab, but he wanted to prove they were doing some good. Her notes had been scattered across the entire area and she managed to gather them into one pile before pinning some of it to the wall. Her computer's screen saver was still going, showing a slideshow of the trip she, Chloe, Pete, and Clark took to Texas the year before. She smiled at the pictures before turning and grabbing the samples of meteor rocks. She locked the into a lead lined case, something that Clark told her blocked whatever effect the rocks had on him. She had requested it from Lex, and he readily gave it, having been told by her that she didn't want any possible radioactive material to be flowing around freely. It was a small lie on her part, bit it still stabbed at her conscience. She realized the more lies she told Lex, the more the guilt began eating away at her. It didn't feel right keeping things a secret from him, but she knew she would protect Clark's secret with her life. Her own secret on the other hand? She had been struggling with the decision to tell him. Surprisingly, it didn't bother her as much to keep it from Chloe and Pete. But the conversation she had with Lex earlier got her to think. She could tell he was trying to be honest with her. And she wanted to return the favor. She just had to find the right time.  
  
Before long, she heard the tell tale signs of the entire freshman class storming the plant. She listened and heard Gabe, Chloe's father, make a joke about fertilizer. She just rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself as she heard the footsteps coming down the corridor. It sounded like he was leading them towards the boiler room, and Harper decided to make a quick appearance. She opened the door to find him talking about the process they used to make the liquid fertilizer. She noticed that several of the kids looked bored out of their skulls and were practically begging to be rescued. She smiled to herself and stepped into the conversation, gaining a welcome diversion for both her and the students.  
  
"What's up, freshmen?" she asked, having several people turn their heads. Chloe and Pete looked at her in surprise.  
  
"H? What are you doing here?" Pete asked.  
  
She grinned. "I'm now an official LuthorCorp employee." she said.  
  
A kid in the back of the group snickered and she heard a muffled, "Pooper scooper."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "What was that, Devin?" she called. The kids all parted to reveal the boy in question. He gave her a smirk.  
  
"You work with crap. That makes you a pooper scooper."  
  
She gave him a thoughtful look. "I wonder if being a pooper scooper comes with your own lab and equipment, a big paycheck, and an in with the boss?"  
  
He laughed. "I don't know. You tell me."  
  
Harper shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I work in a different branch."  
  
"Whoa, when did LuthorCorp develop new projects?" Chloe asked, flashing a surprised look to her dad.  
  
Harper grinned. "They've always had different projects. At the moment, in working on medical research and bio engineering. Sadly, the only lab close by Smallville is in this plant. If there was one in Metropolis, that's where I'd be. But then you wouldn't get to see my awesome lab. Which, if you're nice, you can come poke around."  
  
That earned a chuckle from the group, making Harper smile. Both she and Gabe turned their heads when they heard a rattle, like the sound of a metal pipe hitting the concrete floor. "What the..."  
  
"Can I help you?" Gabe demanded.  
  
Suddenly, the door flung open. "Earl?!" Harper exclaimed, surprised to see him out of the hospital. She thought he was supposed to be under guard.  
  
"Nobody move!" Earl shouted. He raised his hand, a gun in his trembling fingers. Harper's eyes widened as the shaking barrel moved between her and Gabe. "Take me to Level Three. Now."  
  
Outside, a huge crowd of concerned parents and reporters were gathering. Jonathan and Martha were among the ones in the front line, along with Ken and Sarah. The crowd parted slightly when a car honked. Lex climbed out, nodding to an officer at the gate. Several parents were trying to get his attention and asking questions rather loudly, but foe the time being, he ignored them. He beckoned the Kents and the Scotts with a finger, to which they quickly responded. Lex waved them through before he entered the gate.  
  
"Okay, what's going on?" Ken asked.  
  
"There's a lunatic in there waving a gun around and demanding to be taken to a place called Level Three." Lex explained shortly, climbing the stairs to a platform where an op station was set up. "We've managed to evacuate the plant. But he's taken the students, and Harper, hostage." he growled.  
  
"Is anyone hurt?" Martha asked, concerned for the safety of everyone still inside.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"What's his name?" Jonathan asked, going on a hunch.  
  
"Earl Jenkins."  
  
"I know him. Ken and I both do."  
  
Lex sighed. "Then what's he doing in my plant?"  
  
"He was going on about some secret crop experiments that LuthorCorp was running in a place called Level Three. He thinks that's what made him sick. And he's convinced the cure is in your plant."  
  
Lex looked between the two sets of parents, slight panic on his features. "Well then we have a serious problem. Level Three doesn't exist."  
  
In the control room, Gabe was holding his hands up in surrender while Earl paced nervously. "I swear to you, I have no idea what you're talking about." he said.  
  
Harper had to bite her tongue to keep from getting them into deeper trouble. She looked around for Clark, trying to find her super powered friend, but he was nowhere to be seen. She thought she could get them out, but she had no idea how to do it without exposing herself to the entire student body and whoever was watching the security feed.  
  
"You're lying!" Earl shouted, once again pointing the gun at the terrified man.  
  
"He's not!" Harper whipped her head to the side in time to see Clark entering with a roll of papers. "I found the blueprints. There is no Level Three."  
  
Earl growled and grabbed the blueprints, unrolling them on the table. Chloe tapped her on the shoulder, drawing her attention away from the man with the gun. "Is there any way out of here?" she asked.  
  
Harper nodded once. "Those double doors. You need my key card and pass code. But we have to get past Earl first." she said quietly. "That could be a problem."  
  
"We need some sort of distraction." Pete whispered. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the phone rang. Gabe picked it up, and at the demand of Earl, put it on speaker phone. Chills went down Harper's spine when she heard Lionel's voice. She didn't pay too much attention to the conversation that went on as she grabbed the card from her pocket and handed it to Chloe.  
  
"Hold it in front of the sensor until the light turns green. The code is 5472. Do it quickly and get everyone out. I'll get-"  
  
She was cut off by a loud thunk. They all jumped in surprise when Clark was thrown backwards into the wall. Earl was shaking uncontrollably, a terrified look on his face. "Look what you made me do!" he exclaimed. She scrambled over to Clark, helping him sit up while he rubbed the back of his head. Whatever was in Earl's system was bad. Bad enough to knock Clark clean off his feet. That fact alone shook her to the core.  
  
Harper's heart lurched when she heard Lex's voice come through the speaker. _"Earl, you're sick. Calm down. Let the kids go and I'll have my top scientist help you."_  
  
Earl whirled around to face the camera angrily. "You're lying!" he exclaimed. "You don't want to help me, you want to lock me up!"  
  
Adrenaline coursed through her, making her brave and stupid. She rose to her feet with Clark trying to grab ahold of her shirt to keep her in place. She had her hands held up in surrender before speaking softly. "He's not lying, Earl. I promise. His top scientist? She's right here, and she wants to help." she said.  
  
Earl's hand began to shake once again, making her eye the gun carefully. It appeared as if his resolve was wavering slightly when she spoke to him.  
  
"Come on, Earl. You know me. You watched me and Clark grow up." she said, nodding to Clark, who was still on the floor. "You know I'm good at what I do. You know I can help you."  
  
He began to lower the gun slightly, but Lionel's voice stopped him. _"Listen to miss Scott, Earl."_  
  
His face twisted into a scowl. "This is your fault, Luthor." he snarled. Once again, he began shaking uncontrollably. For Harper, everything seemed to move in slow motion. She heard a loud bang and almost immediately felt a searing pain in her shoulder. She was flung backwards before hearing another bang. She heard a scream before she crashed onto the floor. She blinked slowly, seeing Clark's blurry face above her.  
  
"This is not how I expected my day to go." she mumbled.  
  
The six people gathered around the laptop watched with bated breath as Harper tried to calm Earl down. It seemed to be working for the most part. He even began lowering his weapon. And then Lionel opened his mouth. "Listen to miss Scott, Earl."  
  
_"This is your fault, Luthor."_  
  
They watched as he once again began shaking. A bang was heard, and they saw the students all duck at the sound. Lex's eyes widened and he lunged for the laptop, his hands gripping the sides of the screen. "NO!" he screamed, knuckles white as he watched Harper crumble to the floor, blood spilling out of the fresh wound in her shoulder. Earl turned and shot out the camera, leaving them in shock, staring at nothing but snow and static.


	14. There Tonight- Every Avenue

Harper raised an eyebrow, her brain trying to process what she had heard. Lex sat beside her, arm draped over her legs as he waited expectantly. They were sitting in his office as he finished up some paperwork. A few days ago, she had been given the okay to go without a sling, but she still had to be extremely careful with what she did with her arm. "You want me to do what?" she asked, trying to affirm what he was wanting from her.  
  
He rolled his eyes. "It's not rocket science, Harper." he said with a teasing smile.  
  
"Have you ever worn a dress before?" she snapped back. "Especially with a bullet wound and metal plate?"  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"Seriously though, what is it that you want me to do?"  
  
He huffed quietly. "Be my plus one to the Gala on Saturday. Wear a nice dress, look beautiful, and just...be my friend?"  
  
She grinned. "I can fulfill at least three of those requirements."  
  
Lex frowned. "If it's really that much trouble to get into a dress, I'm sure they would understand if you-"  
  
She cut him off with a laugh. "You think the dress would be the problem?" she asked with a grin.  
  
A confused frown crossed Lex's features. "...then...what _is_ the problem?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Lex, I can go, I can finagle my way into a dress, and I can definitely be your friend. But I don't know about this whole...beautiful...thing. Makeup has never really been my strong suit and there's absolutely no way I'm showing my ugly face without it. Maybe I could get Lana to help me. She always looks really pretty."  
  
His confusion turned to anger. "Don't you _dare_ talk about yourself like that." he snapped. She looked at him, blinking in surprise at his sudden defensiveness. "You're beautiful, you're brilliant, a little pig headed if you ask me, strong, and a lot more that I don't have time to list. If you or anyone else on this planet thinks that you're ugly, then they must be blind."  
  
She stared dumbly back at him, not knowing what to say to the complement. So she said the first thing that popped into her head. "You probably say that to all the women you meet." she muttered, looking down at her lap and fiddling with a stray string on her shirt.  
  
Lex nudged her leg to get her to look at him. When she did, a soft smile showed on his face. "Only when I mean it." he said softly.  
  
The whole conversation caught Harper off guard. For as long as she could remember, she had always been compared to Lana. This was the first time anyone had complemented her without feeling the need to. Sure, Clark and Chloe would complement her, but they were her best friends. It didn't really matter as much coming from them. Lex was still looking at her with that crooked smile and she felt her heart skip a beat. Hearing the unsolicited and even heartfelt complement come from the billionaire was unexpected and surprisingly pleasant. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she dropped her head, brown and blonde curls falling in her eyes to hide her face. Her mind was sent reeling at the complex reaction her body gave to the simple smile that he showed her.  
  
"So is that a yes?" he probed, poking her leg and making her smile.  
  
She ran a hand through her hair. "Fine. And as lame as this might sound, I honestly don't have anything to wear."  
  
He laughed. "Something I never thought I'd hear you say."  
  
Harper scowled playfully. "But I'm my case, it's a legit excuse."  
  
Lex grinned and shook his head. "Take Chloe with you and go to Metropolis. There's some good designer stores there."  
  
She raises an eyebrow. "And I can afford this, how? I've been putting all my money towards my truck and medical bills."  
  
He frowned. "Medical bills? I took care of that. Why would you need to pay any more?"  
  
She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Crap, I wasn't supposed to say anything." she muttered. Lex gave her a look that prompted her to continue. She sighed. Her parents had told her how much Lex was doing to make sure she was okay. They told her not to say anything about the extra therapy bills that were popping up because they didn't want to take advantage of Lex's wealth, or make him feel like he was obligated to help them.  
  
"Harper, tell me what's going on." he said gently, coaxing an explanation out of her.  
  
She sighed once again. "I'm gonna end up having a lot more therapy than they originally thought. And the doctors want me to see a shrink about the 'traumatic experience' that I went through. So it's turning out to be more expensive than anyone originally thought." she said slowly. "My parents didn't really want you to know about that."  
  
He frowned. "Actually, I think that's a good idea."  
  
"What is?"  
  
"That you see a psychiatrist. You can't pretend that what happened wasn't traumatic, Harper. It was. You were _shot_ by a man who watched you grow up. You said he was a close friend of both your family and the Kents. Someone doesn't come out of that kind of experience with zero psychological affects." Lex explained.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I've already come to terms with what happened, Lex. I've been through some pretty traumatizing stuff in my short life. I've already told you that I don't blame Earl, and I'm not pressing charges or holding him accountable. It was an accident. He was infected with the meteor rocks and it made him really sick. I can't blame the victim."  
  
Lex frowned at her. "I can't talk you into it? _Any_ of it?"  
  
Harper shook her head rapidly. "No."  
  
He sighed. "Fine. But I'm taking care of these new medical bills."  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "I just told you that my parents didn't want you to know because they didn't want you to think we were taking advantage of you."  
  
He rolled his in return. "It's not like I can't afford it." he said. "Besides, I already told them that I would take care of whatever happened to pop up. I take care of my friends, Harper."  
  
She sighed. "I know, Lex. But you know hoe Jon is when it comes to you helping them out? My parents have kind of the same attitude."  
  
"Because I'm a Luthor?"  
  
Harper rolled her eyes. "If it was because of that, I definitely wouldn't be allowed to be here." she said. "It's because they don't know you and don't want to make a bad impression, like they're trying to mooch or something." she explained.  
  
He pursed his lips. "Think anyone would find it suspicious if my top scientist suddenly received a raise? I'm thinking...twice as much as I normally pay you."  
  
That made her laugh. "Oh, come on Lex. I can't be the smartest person on any of your teams."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who came up with a treatment method for cancer that's more effective than chemo." he said pointedly. "And scientists have been working on that for _how long?"_  
  
"...a long time?"  
  
"Exactly. Don't sell yourself short, Harper. You're brilliant."  
  
"Well...thanks?"  
  
He chuckled. "You really have no idea what to say to a complement, do you?"  
  
She shook her head. "None at all."  
  
He frowned. "We're gonna have to change that. But for now, see if you can talk Chloe into going to Metropolis. I would take you myself but I have a lot of extra work I need to finish up tonight." He reached for something on his desk, handing it to Harper between his index and middle fingers. She raised an eyebrow as she took the small, shiny, silver card from him.  
  
"What's this?" she asked dumbly.  
  
"Seriously, pipsqueak?" he asked. "My credit card. Well, one of them. I put your name on this one so you can use it whenever you need to." he explained, giving her another crooked smile.  
  
She looked at him in surprise. "Lex-"  
  
"I know, I know, I'm probably gonna get your pig headed stubbornness speech, but I wanted to make sure that you were always taken care of in case anything happened when you were off gallivanting by yourself."  
  
"And that includes buying a designer dress?"  
  
He laughed. "Actually, yes. Don't worry about the limit. Get a nice outfit, some dinner, whatever you and Chloe want to do tonight. You can also have the limo or the chopper."  
  
"Lex-"  
  
"If you won't let me coddle you, then let me spoil you." he said, looking at her in a way that made her heart flutter. "You and Clark are the closest things I have to friends."  
  
"But you can't buy friendship, Lex."  
  
"I know. But I can spend my money on them."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "And there's no way I can talk you out of this?"  
  
"Nope." he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Since when did you get so stubborn?"  
  
He grinned before turning back to the laptop in front of him. "I learned from the best." he said. She sighed but dropped the subject. One thing she learned while spending time with him was that he could be just as stubborn as she was, and when that happened, neither of them were going anywhere if one of them didn't budge. Harper liked to think she was the one being the adult in the situation, but she knew Lex was only trying to get her to see reason. Not that she would admit that to anyone.  
  
"Fine. So when is this little _excursion_ supposed to happen?" she asked, tossing a paperclip in his direction.  
  
He chuckled. "Today or tomorrow, whenever you want. Just make sure you have enough time to find a nice dress. And make it something that won't be too complicated to get in and out of. I don't want you to hurt your shoulder any more than it already is."  
  
Harper nodded once before glancing at the clock to see what time it was, and partly to hide the heat that was rapidly rushing to her cheeks. His concern for her well being was becoming increasingly evident, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. If she and Chloe left now, they would have enough time to hit a few stores and maybe even get some dinner before heading back to Smallville. "Okay, I'll take the card but Chloe and I are driving ourselves." she said, narrowing her eyes and mentally daring him to argue. As if reading her thoughts, he began to protest.  
  
"Harper, there's no way you're going to be driving any time soon with the shape you're in. Chloe's old car will just jostle the both of you around. Even though you're out of the sling, Grant told me to make sure you didn't over do it." he said, frowning at her. "The limo would be a lot more comfortable for the both of you."  
  
She crossed her good arm over her chest, setting her jaw. She had given in once in this debate already, and she wasn't willing to give in again. "Lex, I'll be _fine._ It's not like Chloe is gonna take all the back dirt roads and hot every pot hole in the county." Then she paused momentarily. "But on second thought, the back roads would be a lot faster considering-"  
  
_"Harper._ "  
  
Her icy eyes found his and she realized that she wouldn't be winning here either. "...fine..."  
  
He watched her skeptically for a moment, not believing that he had convinced her that easily. But when he saw the slight slump in her shoulders, his features softened. "Hey, it's not the end of the world." he said, nudging her leg gently. "You could be stuck in a wheelchair."  
  
The thought made her grin. "At least then I could have wheelchair races with my fellow inmates at the hospital." she joked.  
  
Lex rolled his eyes. "Whatever. But if you're gonna go tonight, you might wanna get a move on."  
  
Harper sighed dramatically before swinging her legs off his desk while digging in her bag for her phone. She quickly dialed Chloe's number and waited for her friend to answer.  
  
About an hour later, and both girls were riding comfortably in a long black limo as they headed towards Metropolis. Harper was loathe to admit it, bit Lex was right. This _was_ more comfortable than her truck or Chloe's car. She blinked a couple times when she saw fingers snapping in front of her face. "What?" she asked, confused as she was drawn out of her thoughts.  
  
Chloe raised an eyebrow while she crossed her arms. "It's not every day that Harper Scott zones off in la la land. What's on your mind, H?"  
  
Harper raised her good shoulder in a half shrug. "Nothing in particular." she said. But in all honesty, her mind was racing.  
  
Chloe gave her a pointed look. "Come on. I've known you long enough to know when you're lying." she said. "So tell me what's wrong."  
  
Harper bit her lip, not sure how to start. There were about a billion things that she felt the need to tell her, but she knew if she opened her mouth she wouldn't be able to stop the waterfall of words that was sure to spill out.  
  
"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with our new friend, would it?" Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows slightly.  
  
Harper frowned until she realized who Chloe was referring to. When she did, she had to resist the urge to smack the reporter. " _No,"_ she said. "This doesn't have anything to do with Lex."  
  
_But it does have everything to do with the fact that I feel so guilty sitting here with you like everything in life is normal when I know the complete opposite is true._  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Oh, come _on_ , Harper!" she exclaimed. "Something has to be going on."  
  
Harper scowled. "Don't tell me you believe all that gossip going around. Please."  
  
Chloe gave a halfhearted shrug in response before reaching for the water bottle she had brought along. "Well, it does kinda make sense."  
  
"In what universe?"  
  
"Ours, duh. You spend all your free time with him, H. Pete and I rarely see you unless we manage to pin you down in your room for a couple hours having you tutor us." Chloe insisted, fully facing her friend. "And then there's the fact that he's spending all this money on you, letting you use his cars, taking you to this Gala. Oh, and not to mention what happened while you were still out of it."  
  
Harper frowned. "What?"  
  
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, what?"  
  
"What happened while I was out?"  
  
Chloe pursed her lips. "Clark didn't tell you?" Harper frowned in confusion and shook her head. The blonde reporter sighed. "Well, that means your parents certainly didn't tell you."  
  
"Tell me what?!" Come on, Chlo. You know you can't just say things like that around me and expect me to let it go. One way or another, I will weasel it out of someone."  
  
Chloe scowled, not directing it at anything in particular. "Why did I have to teach you to be such a good reporter?"  
  
Harper chuckled. "Because I wouldn't stop nagging. Now. Tell me what happened."  
  
Her friend ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Okay, fine. But if anyone asks, you did _not_ hear this from me. Got it?"  
  
She rolled her eyes but nodded. "My lips are sealed." she said.  
  
"It's pretty obvious that your parents, the Kents, and me and Pete lived in your hospital room. But so did Lex."  
  
Harper shrugged. "What exactly is so unusual about that? He's one of my best friends."  
  
Chloe gave her a pointed look. "It gets unusual when he practically throws everyone out. He kept saying that it was because he knew they were tired and needed proper rest, but I'm a reporter, H. I'm not that easy to fool. So I would stick around after he managed to convince everyone else to leave. He would sit by your bedside. Sometimes he would just sit there quietly and hold your hand. Other times he would tell you stories. He was worried, Harper. More worried than _just a friend."_  
  
Harper bit her lip. She could remember bits and pieces while she had been semi-conscious. She thought she remembered Lex's soothing voice lulling her back into a peaceful sleep with a story about a childhood memory with his mother. As she tried to remember exactly what happened, she only caught pieces. But she definitely remembered feeling safe. And protected. But there was no way she was going to admit that out loud, especially to Chloe, who was known for her lack of subtlety when it came to sensitive topics. "He was probably just feeling guilty, Chloe. You have no idea how many times he's tried to apologize for what happened."  
  
Chloe frowned. "Not likely. At least from where I'm standing. You're free to think what you want, Harper. I'm just saying to be careful."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is. Lex and I aren't dating. Even if we were, so what? It wouldn't be any of their freaking business, it would be ours."  
  
Chloe sighed. "You know that and I know that. But the reason everyone is so concerned is because it's _illegal,_ Harper."  
  
"For what, less than another month?"  
  
"Look, I know what you feel towards Lex is completely innocent. Clark and I both feel like that. I've already told you what I think of Lex's intentions. And the press can take any little thing, even the most innocent, and warp it into something else. Trust me, Clark and I had to fight off a horde of reporters while you were in the hospital. Lex refused to leave your side, and some of the reporters caught wind of that. They decided to take it out of context and make a big deal about it."  
  
Harper scowled. She wasn't directing her animosity towards Chloe by any means, but to every other no good reporter out there that dared to have the nerve to screw with other people's lives. "You know what, they can take their opinions and articles and shove them." Then she frowned as another thought crossed her mind. It wasn't the first time she had thought about something like that, and she was sure it wasn't going to be the last. "What's gonna happen to Lex?" she asked suddenly. "If the papers are all spreading rumors about the two of us and the context of our relationship, that's gonna ruin everything he's been working so hard to accomplish!" she exclaimed.  
  
Chloe frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Lex is trying to be different than his father. Lionel is a pompous, arrogant, selfish, and conceited man. Lex might be his son, but he's trying to change the Luthor reputation. He wants people to see him differently. But if there are rumors about him seeing a minor, then that will ruin everything." she explained, taking a hand through her hair. "God I'm stupid."  
  
Chloe shook her head before reaching over to gently put a hand on Harper's shoulder. "Calm down, H. It's not your fault."  
  
"It kind of is." she muttered, refusing to look at anything but the floorboards. Every little moment that she had shared with Lex flashed in her mind. The Scarecrow incident, him constantly driving her home from work, offering her a job, putting her on a pedestal for her work, him at the hospital, the fleeting touches the two of them would share. It all seemed to add up and only increase the mountain of so called evidence that all the reporters had. Harper realized that if she hadn't been herself during those moments, this probably wouldn't have happened.  
  
"Tell me how." Chloe demanded. Harper knew that her friend was only trying to prove a point, but Harper couldn't admit everything that had gone on between the two of them. She knew that quite a few of their little...moments...wouldn't appear to be above board, especially to someone with Chloe's mindset.  
  
Finally Harper sighed, deciding to take the easy way out. "You're right..." she muttered. But her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. This whole conversation had her analyzing her feelings for Lex with a microscope. The more she thought about it, the more she thought that _maybe_ Chloe was right. Lex would always come up with some sort of excuse to be near her, either while she was visiting the mansion, or even while she was working. His touch would probably linger longer than necessary. Her actions couldn't be deemed completely innocent either. She and Lex would often tease each other, and not in a way that was always platonic. She had even kissed him. _Twice._ So if that didn't give the press a reason to be suspicious, then she didn't know what would. But the more she analyzed both their actions, she realized that there might be something. Something buried deep under the surface that neither of them were sure about, but something nonetheless.  
  
She and Chloe had been left in a comfortable silence the rest of the ride to Metropolis, and they were being dropped off at a popular shopping strip which included more than one designer store. They were in the upscale part of Metropolis, and Harper realized that in her ripped jeans, faded black shoes, and old Journey hoodie, she didn't exactly blend in. But Chloe quickly dragged her out of her stupor, pulling her along to the first store they came across.  
  
They had spent over two hours in three stores looking for something. Harper had managed to find Clark a suit and tie, knowing he would need something to wear. Chloe had also found a nice black dress and a pair of matching heels. Harper had managed to talk Lex into giving her a press pass for the evening, and Chloe would be covering the event for the Torch. Harper was about ready to call it a night when Chloe shouted at her. She poked her head around the rack, her eyebrows shooting up when she saw the dress Chloe was holding up. "Wow..." she said.  
  
Chloe grinned. "This is perfect."  
  
"I want to try it on. I'm gonna need some help since I can't bend my arm very much."  
  
"No problem, I got ya covered."  
  
The two of them headed to the dressing room, and about five minutes and several curses later, Harper was dressed. She stood in front of the floor length mirror, her jaw dropping open when she saw her reflection. "I look..."  
  
"Awesome." Chloe finished with a wide smile. "You're gonna steal the show, H."  
  
Harper grinned back. "I don't know about that. And I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How does Chinese sound?"


	15. Demons - Social Repose

Harper bit back a groan and instead settled for a hiss of pain. Her mother was currently helping her into the dress that she and Chloe had picked out. Harper knew she could do it easier on her own, and without all the pain that was now shooting through her shoulder. But her mother had insisted. Once she had gotten her arms weaved through the confusing straps on the side of the dress she was able to let out a sigh of relief. "Sit down, I've got an idea of what to do with your hair and makeup." Sarah said, gesturing to the chair in front of Harper's desk. The teenager glanced at the clock she had hanging above her door while she grabbed the pain medicine Grant had given her. She downed two, hoping it would kick in before she was supposed to meet Lex. He said something about having to be there early, so he went ahead of her. She was supposed to be at the Gala at seven thirty, and it was almost five now. She had just enough time to finish getting ready and grab a bite to eat. She did as her mother asked, allowing her to run the brush through her wavy hair. It took about thirty minutes, but when Harper was allowed to look in the mirror, her mouth dropped open slightly. Her hair had two small braids on either side of her head that twisted up into the curly bun on top of her head. A few stray pieces were allowed to hang down and frame her face in blonde and brown strands. Her icy eyes were accentuated by the black smokey eye shadow and liner. Her lashes looked thicker and longer thanks to the mascara her mom had used.  
  
"Wow..." she breathed. The floor length dress accentuated her curves and the heels she was going to wear would make her six inches taller than she actually was. She hoped both Chloe and Clark were there. The whole ordeal was making her nervous, and having the both of them plus Lex would make it easier for her. She was also concerned about what the reporters would take from the situation, with her being Lex's supposed 'date' for the Gala. He had expressed to her that he wasn't thinking anything of the sort when he asked her to go with him. That he just wanted a friend there with him so he wouldn't be the outsider like always. That this was the first time he could actually extend that invitation and not let it be meaningless. That thought sent warmth shooting through her heart. Lex considered her to he one of his few friends, one that he could trust and show off to the rest of the world, as if shoving their friendship in the world's face. Harper understood why he wanted to do that, and she would do her best to help him do it.  
  
Sarah smiled, placing a hand gently on her daughter's uninjured shoulder. "You look beautiful, sweetheart."  
  
Harper still couldn't believe that it was herself that she was staring at in the mirror. This was one of the few times that she had been coerced into wearing a dress, and honestly, she didn't look half bad in it. She would almost go as far as to say she looked pretty. She turned and gave her mother a tight hug, saying a thank you in her ear. Sarah smiled at her daughter before turning and grabbing the black sling off the bed beside them. "You might want this." she said, gently maneuvering Harper's arm into the simple contraption.  
  
The two women left the upstairs bedroom and headed down to the kitchen, where Ken had dinner just about ready. When he heard them padding down the stairs, he paused in stirring the sauce momentarily to look up at his girls. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Harper descending the stairs. "Wow," he said. "My little girl's all grown up."  
  
Harper smiled. "But I'll always be your little girl, Dad."  
  
He chuckled and moved to hug her while Sarah made to finish their dinner. "You better be, baby. Now, I made your favorite. Hurry up and eat before you have to go."  
  
Her smile grew and she did as she was asked, sitting in her usual chair at the table while het mother dished up their plates. The three of them ate and enjoyed each other's company for about half an hour before a knock sounded on the door. Ken quickly wiped his hands on the napkin beside him before standing to answer the door. Harper managed to put on her heels without hurting herself too badly. She stood, wobbling momentarily, before making her way to the door. She smiled at the driver, Heath, and he grinned back at her. With the trips she took to Metropolis lately, especially to visit Grant for her biweekly evaluation, she and Heath had gotten aquatinted. "You ready, Harper?" he asked. "I stopped and picked up Chloe on the way. I was going to pick up Clark but Mrs. Kent said he was already on his way."  
  
Harper nodded before grabbing her wallet off the coffee table and putting it in her red clutch. "Yep." she said, pooping the p. He smiled and stood to the side, allowing her to walk past. "I'll be back later." she said, giving her mother a quick hug. "I'll call you when I'm on my way home."  
  
"Have fun, sweetheart." Sarah said, nodding to the door.  
  
Harper said goodbye and headed outside, followed by Heath. "Thanks for taking us to Metropolis, Heath." she said. "I don't know if Chloe's car would've made it."  
  
He chuckled. "It's not a problem. I'm at your service, milady." he joked, opening the door for her.  
  
She grinned and dropped down into the long black limo where she came face to face with Chloe. "Hey, Chlo." she said, looking over her friend's outfit. "You look good." A sly smirk crosses her features. "If Clark doesn't say something to you about how good you look tonight, I promise I'm gonna whip his butt myself."  
  
Chloe's cheeks flushed. "I didn't wear it for Clark." she mumbled.  
  
Harper chuckled. "Your secret's safe with me, Chloe, I promise. Besides, if he can't see what's right in front of him, then he's dumber than I thought."  
  
Chloe snorted. "All that boy sees is Lana."  
  
Harper scowled before grabbing a bottle of water. "I like Lana. I mean, she's a decent person and all. She's not a stuck up brat like most of the other girls in the school. But Clark has _got_ to get over this ridiculous infatuation with her. All it's going to cause is a lot of emotional pain. For both of them. And if she breaks his heart, I don't care if she's my friend or not, I'm gonna break her face."  
  
Chloe blinked a couple times. "No lost love for that doomed relationship, then, huh?"  
  
"None whatsoever." Harper snapped back. "Honestly, I would rather see him end up with you than anyone else."  
  
The blonde reporter chuckled. "Thanks, H. But I'm guessing that ship has already sailed."  
  
"It's not over until the fat lady sings, Chloe. And trust me, I haven't even done my warm up vocals."  
  
Chloe erupted into laughter, making Harper smile and eventually join in the laughter. When both of them had calmed down, they changed the subject to something a little lighter. Chloe was asking about Harper's research with the meteor rocks, and the two of them passed the rest of the hour long ride discussing different theoretical uses of the meteors. Harper rolled down her window slightly when Heath announced that they had arrived. She turned to smile at Chloe, who nodded. "Ready?"  
  
"As I'll ever be." the blonde responded.  
  
The two women waited until Heath opened the door before climbing out of the vehicle. Harper was momentarily blinded by the flash of a camera and the tell tale sign of reporters. She took a deep breath before turning back and helping Chloe our of the car with her good arm. "Whoa, what's with all the press?" she muttered.  
  
Harper flashed a scowl before quickly covering it up with a smile. "It's an art Gala." she explained quietly. "Lex warned me earlier that there would be several of them here."  
  
Chloe nodded before Harper led them both up the steps to the museum. Once inside, they seemed to jump into a sea of upper class etiquette. She scanned the area looking for either Clark or Lex. A smile crossed her face when her icy eyes landed on the billionaire. He glanced at her while talking with a group of other people before turning back to the conversation. She was surprised when he appeared to do a double take and look at her with widened eyes. She watched as he politely excuses himself from the group and approached her and Chloe. Harper felt her cheeks heat up as he raked his eyes up and down her figure.  
  
"Looks like you caught his attention." Chloe muttered in her ear, a sly smirk on her face. After all, turn about was fair play. The blonde, much to Harper's dismay, went off to search for their dark haired friend before Lex had a chance to approach them. Harper was filled with a mild panic as the billionaire stopped in front of her, eyes sparkling with something she would almost call mischief. He reached for her hand and Harper allowed him to take it. She glanced away, more red flooding her cheeks as he pressed his lips to her knuckles.  
  
"You look beautiful, Harper." Lex said. "I'm glad you made it."  
  
A soft smile crossed her lips as she looked back up at him. "You don't clean up so bad yourself, Alex." she teased.  
  
The crooked smirk didn't leave his face. "Come on. There's something I want to show you." He gently grabbed her hand and led her through the throngs of people, weaving in and around the rich and privileged of Metropolis. They kept up small talk as he showed her some of the greatest pieces the museum had to offer. As he told her the history of some of the paintings, she looped her arm through his before moving slightly closer to him. The smile that lit up his face was one that hadn't been seen in a long time. She grinned as she spotted Clark, pointing him out to Lex.  
  
"You know, that belonged to Alexander the Great. They say the design symbolizes courage."  
  
Harper examined the jeweled breastplate as he and Clark started a conversation. She glanced up when she heard a snarky remark come from Lex.  
  
"I'm just interested in people who ruled the world before they were thirty."  
  
She rolled her eyes and smacked his chest. "I think you've got a few years to go before that happens." she said. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned to see Lana and Whitney walking around. She suppressed a groan and politely excused herself from Lex and Clark, going to look for Chloe. She didn't want to be around the tension that would suddenly take over the air when Clark and Whitney came face to face. It wasn't long before she spotted Chloe in her clingy black dress. The blonde reporter was sporting her press pass and interviewing an older couple by a jewelry display. Deciding to let her have some fun, Harper stepped towards the doors, looking for some fresh air. She carefully maneuvered her way down the stairs in her six inch heels, shivering slightly as the air hit her. She took a deep breath of the chilled air, allowing the cold to seep into her veins. Grant had cautioned her against staying our in the cold for too long. He had told her that if the prosthetic was in the cold for too long, it would cause her muscles to lock up and tense, making it even more difficult to deal with the new piece of metal.  
  
She sighed and rolled her shoulders, wincing when her she felt her muscles already beginning to strain. Her attention was caught when she heard the doors close once again. Harper turned her head in time to see Clark walking down the steps, looking frustrated and mumbling to himself.

“Well, welcome to Metropolis…” she heard him mutter. He glanced to the side where a homeless man and his dog were sleeping. “More or less…”

Harper chuckled to herself and shook her head. But her attention was grabbed when she heard the squealing of tires off in the distance. She gawked as a bus came hurtling towards them. She couldn’t see well from that far away, but she could tell that the driver was in some sort of distress.

“Clark!” she shouted, trying to get his attention.

The bus began swerving all over the road, and it even collided with a few of the parked cars. It came barreling through the street, headed right towards the sleeping man and his dog. Knowing she wasn’t going to make it over there in time, she thrust her hand out in front of her, hoping to slow the bus down even slightly as Clark dashed down the stairs.

Clark jumped in front of the bus, bracing himself and allowing it to collide with his shoulder. Harper let out a grunt and grit her teeth as she continued to drag the bus with her telekinesis. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to fully stop it before it came into contact with her friend. But she was trying to minimalize the damage as much as she could.

Clark grunted and pushed the bus away as she began heading down the stairs, taking them two at a time, even in her heels. She reached Clark in a few moments, checking him over even though she knew it hadn’t hurt him. Then she glanced around, wondering if anyone had seen them. Her eyes narrowed as she saw bushes rustling across the street. It was probably nothing, a squirrel at the most, but it nagged at her mind.

“Go inside. I’ll help everyone off the bus.” she muttered, nodding to the museum. “Get Lex.”

Grudgingly, and making sure she was okay before he sped off again, Clark complied. Harper coughed as she made her way towards the bus doors, the smoke from the engine filling her lungs. People began slowly climbing off the bus, wondering what happened. She helped them as best she could, considering she was in six-inch heels and had her arm in a sling. She checked on everyone as the deboarded the bus, eventually climbing on to check on the driver. A heavy feeling crept up on her and settled on her heart. He wasn’t in good condition.

“Harper!”

She let out a breath when she heard Lex’s voice. “Lex, call an ambulance!” she shouted, checking the driver’s pulse. She heard him following her directions before he gently grasped her good arm and turning her around to face him. He frantically began checking her over for injuries, hugging her when he found none.

“They’ll be here in a few minutes.” he said.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Harper sighed as she dropped into the chair across from Lex at the Beanery. “I’m sorry the night got cut short.” she said, running a hand through her hair. Lex didn’t fail to notice that she still wasn’t using her arm and was wearing the shirt he had given her. It hung loosely off her frame, but he figured it was easier for her.

“Don’t worry about it.” he said, folding the paper back up and leaning forward. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Clark told me there was an accident and you were asking for me. I was scared to death that something else had happened to you.” he said, gently resting his hand on her knee. The sounds of the coffee shop surrounded them, and he made sure there were no reporters or unwelcome eyes around before squeezing her leg gently. She looked like she hadn’t slept all night and he was upset that they had kept her at the police station in Metropolis for as long as they had.

She gave him a tired smile. “And I’m sorry about ditching you. I was really looking forward to spending a nice, quiet night with my best friends. And then the whole bus and police station and-”

He shook his head, leaning farther towards her, scooting to the edge of the leather chair. “Hey, don’t worry about that. You’re safe. That’s all I care about.”

The smile grew a little wider hearing him say that. But as she sat there, the guilt continued to eat away at her conscience, cursing her for not telling him the whole truth. Seeing him, sitting across from her, filled with concern about her wellbeing, sent another wave of guilt crashing over her. She felt like she was drowning in it. She didn’t know how much longer she could go without telling him. After all, he had a right to know…right?

As she was contemplating telling him right then and there, she was interrupted by a voice above them.

“Afternoon, Lex. …or is it Mr. Luthor here in Smallville?”

She looked up, a frown on her face, at the burly man who was talking to Lex. She was about to open her mouth and snap at him for the snarky attitude he had, but Lex shot her a look that told her to keep quiet.

“Phelan. Isn’t Smallville a couple counties out of your jurisdiction?” he asked, tensing up as he leaned back in his chair. He wanted this man, Phelan, to believe that he was in control. And Harper thought he was doing a pretty good job. His nonchalant attitude and carefree tone would have made her look twice if she didn’t know what he was up to.

“Well, I don’t need jurisdiction to look up an old friend.” He glanced over at Harper, “Or new ones for that matter.” he said with a smirk.

Lex growled. “We were never friends. If you want to see me, call my office. And I doubt anyone here wants to have you as a friend anyway.”

Phelan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “When’s it happen, Lex?”

“When does what happen?” Lex asked. It was obvious to Harper that he was doing everything he could to keep his cool with this man. Whoever he was, Lex didn’t like him. And she was forming her own opinions about him that weren’t so nice either.

“When do you turn on the people that help you? Or someone like this pretty lady here? How many times did I pull you back from the edge? You’d be dead now if it wasn’t for me.” Phelan said.

Harper narrowed her eyes as Lex responded.

“You were on my father’s pay roll, his go to guy in the department. You got paid to fix situations, so don’t pretend like it was anything else.”

She snorted. “Leave it to Lionel to pick one of the sleeziest cops he can find.” she said. Lex threw her a look, begging her to shut up, but he couldn’t help the smile that was forming on his lips. Her snark came in at some of the worst moments, but it always made him smile.

Phelan raised an eyebrow before looking around the cozy shop. Then he turned back to Lex. “You’ve got a nice life here, Lex. I’d sure hate to see that get complicated.”

Lex rolled his eyes. “You can’t touch me, and you know it.”

He shrugged. “Maybe not you, but you never said anything about the people close to you.” His eyes swiveled to Harper, who was still sitting in her chair, a glare on her face. “I would hate to read that a young woman’s reputation in the quiet town of Smallville was compromised for spending her free time in the company of an older man. It’s a shame, Lex. You really should learn to keep your hands to yourself.” Phelan said, waving a camera in Lex’s face. The billionaire growled and immediately stood, going head to toe with the detective.

“You stay away from her. You hear me, Phelan? Go near her, and you’re dead.”

Harper followed Lex’s lead, standing and crossing her arms, gritting her teeth through the pain. She was all for letting Lex defend her, but this man was trying every bit of her patience. “Listen here, Phelan. I don’t know who you are, and I really don’t care. But trust me, I’m not someone you want to screw around with. I’m not afraid to put scum like you in their place. Don’t believe me? Ask the guys in my high school. They’ll tell you the same thing.”

He pursed his lips. “Seems like Lex did his fair share of ‘screwing around’ with you. Maybe I’m not the one you should be lecturing.”

It took every ounce of self-control that Harper had not to send him flying into the wall. Oh, but how she wanted to. It would wipe that smug grin right off his dirty face. If she had to take a guess, he was a dirty cop. And he was threatening her and her friends. No one did that and got away with it.

“Screw you.” she snarled.

“You’re already in bed with Luthor. Otherwise I might take you up on that offer.”

And that was it. Harper stepped around Lex, wound up, and sent her palm flying across the man’s cheek. And that was when he lost it.

“Assaulting an officer is a-”

She crossed her arms and stepped up to him, ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder from the actions. She raised her voice so that several people around could hear her, and her words caused several heads to turn. “Sexual harassment of a minor is a serious crime, _detective._ I’m not interested, and you would be doing yourself a favor to kindly _back off._ ”

Lex stood at her back, and she could feel his chest vibrating with barely controlled chuckles. But she knew his face was as passive as ever, hiding his amusement behind the mask of control that he always seemed to wear.

Phelan growled and held his hands up in surrender, taking a step backwards. “I’m looking for a couple witnesses. I think they saw last night’s accident in front of the museum.”

Lex crossed his arms. “And this concerns me, why?”

Phelan reached inside his jacket and handed Lex a picture. Harper raised an eyebrow, seeing Lex, Clark, and herself all standing around and talking. Thankfully, her arm was in a sling and she had her face turned away from the camera. It was a wonder he hadn’t recognized her. But she felt Lex stiffen slightly.

“Sorry, I don’t know who these people are.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting. I would have pegged you for buddies.”

Lex shrugged. “Guess you’re losing your instinct. Maybe you should think about retiring. Oh, and if you even _think_ about coming near Harper again, both of us will be pressing charges for harassment of a minor. And my lawyers won’t be nice.” he said. “Come on, Harper. I’ll give you a ride home.”

He grabbed her hand and gently tugged her along, leading her out of the small shop. Once they were a safe distance down the street, she paused and made him look at her. “Who was that guy?” she asked. “I’m getting major creep vibes from him.”

Lex sighed. “He was the one that always took care of our…problems…in Metropolis. We had an issue, he made it go away. Dirty cop. My father paid him off. Nice job with that distraction, by the way.”

She rolled her eyes before grinning. “Worked like a charm. I’ll have to remember that. But, I gathered that much. But what I don’t understand is why he hates you?”

He shrugged. “I cut him off. He didn’t like not getting paid. But what I’m concerned about is what he wants with you and Clark. You already told Metro PD everything you saw. And Clark wasn’t even there, he told me he heard something outside and saw you trying to help the people on the bus.”

She nodded. “That’s it. I don’t know what he wants from me either.”

But she had a pretty good idea. He was probably what sent her spidey senses all in a frizz last night. He was the thing that made the bushes rustle like that. There was no way a squirrel could make that big of a disturbance. But what did he want? Blackmail? More than likely. And she knew it wasn’t above him to try and use her friendship with Lex to get what he wanted. She would have to be careful from here on out.

Lex sighed and ran a gloved hand over his scalp. “Give Clark a heads up for me. If Phelan is as dirty as he was when he worked for my father, then we’re going to have a problem. I’ll work on making some calls, see what I can find out about what’s going on.” He looked at her for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something else, but thought better of it. “Just…be careful, okay? Lay low for a while if you have to. But I don’t want you involved in this any more than you have to be.”

She smiled. “I promise, Lex.”

He gave her a crooked grin and leaned forwards, pressing his lips against her forehead. “I’ll see you after a while, okay? I’ll be at Clark’s later.”

She nodded and watched him turn and leave. Harper had to take a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. Why had that simple action sent her over the edge? They had been affectionate with one another before, so why should this time be any different? Maybe Chloe was just getting in her head, playing tricks on her mind. She had a completely platonic relationship with Lex.

…right?

Whatever the case, it was obvious that this Phelan didn’t think so. And he would use whatever he could to destroy Lex’s reputation in Smallville. Harper took a deep breath and reached in her pocket, her fingers brushing over the camera she had swiped from Phelan.

It took her several hours to track down Clark, but when she did, she wasn’t surprised to find him in the loft again. “Hey,” she said, climbing up the stairs. He turned from his position at the window and moved to help her.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Clark, it’s my shoulder that was destroyed, not my legs.”

He chuckled. “Well, you know how I am.” But he frowned when he saw her tense stance. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We have a problem.”

He crossed his arms, a serious look finding its way onto his features. “What kind of problem?”

“One that goes by the name Sam Phelan.”

Panic filled him as she told him the reason for her visit. “Did he hurt you? What happened? Did he threaten you? If he did, I swear I’m gonna kill him. Did-”

“Clark, calm down!” she exclaimed, grabbing his arm. When she was sure she had his attention, she began answering his questions. “No, he didn’t hurt me. That’s a long story, but I’ll help Lex explain when he gets here. Yes, he threatened me, but Lex and I took care of that.”

Clark frowned, worry evident in his voice. “What does Lex have to do with this?”

“Ask him when he gets here. He knows more about it than I do.”

Clark sighed and went back to the window. “I was stupid.” he muttered. “I should have looked closer for spectators.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Clark you can’t blame yourself for everything that happens in the world. If anything, it’s on me too. I should have been looking out for you. That’s my job. Besides, Phelan is looking for me too. He saw me use my abilities.”

Clark ran a hand through his hair. “This is great…” he muttered. “He came after me. And he tried to come after you. And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

She pursed her lips. “Well…”

He turned back to face her. “I know that tone. What’s bothering you, H?”

She just about broke down into tears right then and there. He saw the expression on her face and immediately went over to her, wrapping her small frame in a hug. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I got you.” he said as her body began to vibrate with quiet sobs.

“I have to tell him, Clark.” she said eventually. “I can’t keep hiding this from him. Maybe…maybe he could help…”

A quiet sigh followed her revelation. It took him a few moments to speak, but when he did, she knew immediately what his answer was. “You know you can’t do that, H. It puts us both in more danger than we need to be in.”

“But I can’t keep lying to him.” she muttered, her voice muffled by his shirt.

Clark frowned. “What is this really about, Harper? You’re the one that told me from the beginning that you weren’t going to tell anyone about this.”

She angrily pulled out of his embrace. “Things change, Clark!” she shouted. “The world doesn’t revolve around secrets! I can’t keep doing this to them! My parents, Pete, Chloe, Lex. They deserve to know the truth!”

“Harper you know you can talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” she exclaimed, dropping her head into her hands. Objects began flying around the loft, and Clark let out an irritated sigh when a glass collided with his chest and shattered. Maybe things were finally starting to get to her. She never really thought about it before, just accepted all the responsibilities that had been dropped on her shoulders. She was starting to feel the pressure of everything in her life bearing down on her. These abilities, her job, getting shot, all of it. And was it even worth it? In the end, would she really be okay with losing her friends because of one stupid secret that she tried to bury?

Maybe what Chloe said really was getting her to stop and think about the important things in her life. Sure, she had her friends and family, but if they found out she had been lying to them for so long, who knows if she would still have them. But then she started thinking about Lex. Did she really view him as a friend and nothing more? Was that what she _wanted_?

Finally, she took a deep breath and composed herself.

“I’m sorry, Clark.” she said, putting a hand to her forehead as she looked up at him. Tears were streaming down her face but she quickly wiped them away. She wasn’t an emotional person, and she hated showing any type of weakness in front of the people that meant the most to her. She had to be strong. She was always the one that everyone else could depend on. She was the rock. And if she let anything break away the walls she had built, then she was in some deep trouble.

She allowed Clark to wrap her up in another hug before they both turned to watching the stars from the window. She reveled in the silence, letting the calmness wash over her. She took a deep breath and leaned against Clark, his arm wrapping around her shoulders protectively.

“You two look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Both Clark and Harper jumped at the sudden voice, Harper wincing at the pain from the jerky movement.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But there aren’t really many places to knock.” he joked.

Harper chuckled and moved away from the window, headed for the couch. If this was going to take as long as she thought it would, she might as well make herself comfortable. Which wasn’t hard since she and Clark basically lived in the loft.

“It’s okay. And thanks again for last night.” Clark said. “From what I saw, it was a lot of fun.”

Lex hummed in response and moved over to look through the telescope. “Your first visit to Metropolis and you’re involved in a police investigation? That has to be some kind of record.”

Harper laughed. “Then you obviously haven’t heard the story about _my_ first trip.”

Lex rolled his eyes with a smile and turned his attention to Clark when he spoke.

“Wait, how’d you know about that?”

“The detective that’s in charge came to see me. And he came on to Harper a little too strong. So I had to put him in his place again.” Lex explained.

Clark turned to his best friend. “He came on to you?”

She sheepishly rubbed her neck. “Sort of?”

“We’ll talk about that later. But what’d he tell you?” he asked Lex.

“Not much. That’s probably what was bothering me.”

Clark frowned, not understanding, so Lex explained.

“Metropolis police don’t usually send detectives to investigate _traffic accidents_. So I made a few calls. Turns out, the case was already closed. The guy had a heart attack at the wheel. And if it wasn’t for Harper, he probably wouldn’t have made it.”

She let out a sigh of relief, glad something good came out of the whole ordeal.

“But let me tell you something, Clark. You really don’t want Sam Phelan in your life. He’s bad news.”

“You know him?” Clark asked.

“Unfortunately.” Lex spit out. “I had my fair share of legal problems in Metropolis.”

Harper frowned. “Was it serious?”

He shook his head. “Expensive. Phelan was the kind of officer my dad felt that we could turn to for help.”

Clark looked less than impressed. “So you’re saying he’s a dirty cop?”

“Basically.” Harper said, deciding to interject. “And he’s the type to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Lex nodded. “She’s right. Planting evidence, falsifying reports, anything is fair game to him. If he has something on you, on _either_ of you, _he will use it._ ” he cautioned, looking both his friends over. “So if there’s something, you need to tell me now. Otherwise I can’t help you.”

Harper opened her mouth, tears about ready to form in her eyes again as she contemplated telling him for the millionth time. But Clark answered instead.

“He just wanted to talk.”

“Well, then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Two days later, and things seemed to be going well. Harper hadn’t heard from Phelan since their first run in, and as far as she knew, Clark hadn’t either. She was almost finished with her physical therapy when Clark burst into the clinic, surprising everyone.

Harper blinked before standing up and grabbing her shirt. She nodded to her therapist, who decided to call it a day. She carefully pulled the tank top on over her racerback sports bra that she used to work out in. “Clark? What’s wrong?” she asked, heading over to him.

“I need your help, H.”

Her concern grew with every passing moment. “What happened?” she asked, dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

“My dad…he’s…he’s in jail.”

“What?!” she demanded. “It was Phelan, wasn’t it? I’m gonna kick his butt so hard, his ancestors will be dizzy.” she snarled, stalking out into the street and nearly forgetting her bag. Clark looked apologetically to the therapist who handed it to him with a smile and a small shake of her head. Clark quickly followed after her. Harper was stalking down the street, a woman on a mission. And God help anyone who got in her way. “I’m gonna tear that man apart. Where is he?!” she demanded, whirling around on her friend.

“Whoa, calm down, Harper!” he exclaimed, noticing the way the blue mail box on the street corner was beginning to shake. “You need to chill out right now.” he said quietly. “I doubt you want to send cars flying through the air.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re right. But I’m still going to rip him apart. I knew hew as trouble from the moment I saw him. What’d he do to your dad?”

Clark sighed debating whether or not to tell her. In the condition she was in right now, both physical and emotional, there was no telling what she would do. But with the increasing speed of her tapping foot and the intensity of her stare, he caved.

“He planted a body in the barn.”

Harper growled and didn’t stop to listen to anything else he had to say. Phelan was screwing with her family, and that was not something that anyone wanted to do. She had given him fair warning. He comes after the people she cares about and all bets are off.

“Harper, wait!” Clark shouted, trying to keep up with her at a normal speed. They passed by the Beanery and a few seconds later, they both heard their names being called. They turned to find Lex running to catch them.

“Good!” she snapped. “Clark, tell Lex about how you refused his help and what happened because of it.” she said with crossed arms.

Lex frowned at her before turning to Clark. “I heard about your dad, Clark. Was it Phelan?”

“Lex, I really don’t need this right now. I have to stop Harper from going on a rampage and doing something she’ll regret. And then I have to call the lawyer. So just stay out of it, all right?”

“Clark!” Harper scolded.

“You think you know how a man like him works,” Lex started. “But you’d be wrong.”

“Sounds like you’re an expert, Lex.” Clark said with a scowl.

“I understand his world."

Harper glared at the both of them. “And let’s not forget that Lex did offer to help you, Clark. And so did I. That’s probably what landed your dad in prison in the first place.”

They both gawked at her as she turned and stalked away, heading in the direction of the farm. If there was a place she thought Phelan might be hiding, it was there.

Lex turned to Clark. “Is she okay? What happened?”

Clark sighed. “At this point, I honestly have no idea any more. But whatever she plans on doing isn’t good.”

Harper stalked into the barn, looking around for Phelan. She saw him sitting on the steps to the loft. “Hey!” she snapped.

He looked up in surprise to see her stalking towards him. “Well, well, well. What do we have here? I thought Luthor would have you safely tucked away in the mansion.”

Despite the immense pain in her shoulder, Harper grabbed the collar of his coat and dragged him from the steps, throwing him to the ground. “Listen here you son of a bi-”

“I’d watch your tone if I were you, young lady. I still have all the evidence I need to put you and Lex away for a long time.”

Her lip raised in a snarl. “Lex warned you to stay away from his friends. What part of that do you not understand?” she asked. “You put Uncle Jon in jail, you’re gonna get him out.”

He chuckled. “When Clark holds up his end of the deal, I’ll be more than happy to.”

That made her pause for a moment. “Deal? What deal?”

He laughed again. “See, your friend and I have this little arrangement. He uses his freaky powers to do a job for me, and I get his dad out of jail.”

Her blood boiled. This idiot had the nerve to blackmail Clark? Her best friend, and much less a friend of Lex? Oh, she had quite a few things in mind for him. But briefly, a thought passed through her mind. And that was why didn’t Clark tell her about this? It’s her job to make sure her friends are safe. And at this particular time, she failed.

She growled and twisted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes as she did so. Slowly, Phelan began moving across the floor. Frantically looking around, he tried to figure out what was going on. “What are you doing?” he hissed, his glaring eyes finding hers.

Her face was an emotionless mask as she stared at him. “How does it feel to be drug along, Phelan? Knowing that the actions of someone else control your every move?”

He opened his mouth to respond, most likely in a very ungentlemanly like way, but she cut him off. Her eyes snapped to the side and he went flying across the barn with a scream of surprise. She stalked towards him, fists clenched and shaking from rage at her sides.

“Okay, okay, what do you want?!” he yelped as she approached, trying to scramble away from her.

“Oh no you don’t.” she snarled, dragging him backwards with a flick of her wrist. “I want Jonathan Kent out of jail.”

He was shaking in fear at this point, but there was no way he was going to back down to a teenage girl. “Clark complicates my life, I complicate his.”

She growled and cocked her head to the side, sending him flying into a beam. She held her hand out in front of her as if she were curling her fingers around his throat. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” she yelled. Her telekinetic hold on him began to increase as she put more pressure on his throat.

“What is this, kid? You wanna kill me? You think that’s gonna solve all your problems?” he choked out.

Did she? Honestly at this point, the thought sounded appealing. That would solve at least one of their problems. “I want him out!” she snapped, her eyes hard as she stared at him, watching as he coughed and sputtered. She raised her hand and he raised with it, his eyes widening even farther.

“Harper!"

She turned at the sound of her name, her hold on him slackening in the slightest, allowing him to suck in a deep breath. Her attention turned back to him. “Quiet!” she hissed. Then she turned back to Clark.

“Let him go, H.” he said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. He hadn’t ever seen her like this, and he didn’t want to see how far she would go to get what she wanted. He looked her over briefly, taking in her tense stance and the cold and unyielding look in her eyes as she held Phelan in place, barely letting him get any oxygen. He didn’t fail to notice that her normally clear and steely blue eyes had a green tinge to them, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that at the moment. He was more concerned with keeping the cop alive, much as he hated the idea. “You don’t want to do this.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I think I do.” she said. “And I know you do. So shut up and let me finish.”

He bolted towards her, moving faster than she could, but her eyes followed his movements, and she stopped him dead in his tracks. She glared at him as she raised her eyes slightly, taking Clark up in the air.

“Harper, calm down.” he said, trying with everything he had to break away from her hold. Even with his super strength, he could feel the weight of her hold crushing him. He coughed slightly, feeling the air being squeezed out of his lungs. “This won’t solve anything…”

She growled and turned back to Phelan, who was still trying desperately to struggle out of her grasp. She tsked him and took a step closer, her grip tightening once again. “See, Phelan, this is how it works. The more you struggle, the more air you lose. And you’re on a short leash as it is. You might not want to put up much of a fight.”

His face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen and he was slowly starting to grow limp.

“Harper, let him go!” Clark shouted, gaining her attention once again. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this isn’t you!” he exclaimed, beginning to wriggle once again. “Think about it. Do you really want to throw your life away on this piece of scum? Think about your parents. Chloe. Pete. Me. Lex.”

Hearing the list of names made her falter slightly. “What does that have to do with anything?” she snapped.

“Do you really want to throw away everything you worked for?” His mind was racing as he tried to come up with a good reasoning point, something he could use to get through to her. He noticed the conflict on her face as he was talking, so he just let the words spill out.

“Think about it, H. It would crush your parents. And what about your relationship with Lex?”

She paused, her eyes darkening. “Lex?” she asked after a moment.

Knowing Phelan didn’t have much time left, Clark nodded frantically. “Do you really think Lex would want you to do this?”

Harper growled. “He would do the same.” she said.

“But would he want _you_ to do it?” Clark asked. That was his last ditch effort, as his own vision was beginning to swim.

She frowned, the conflict clearly seen on her face. “I…I…”

“Think about it, H. He cares about you. He wouldn’t want to see you do this. He wouldn’t want to see you throw your life away on some douche like Phelan.”

It took a few seconds, but her eyes slowly rolled to the back of her head, and she lost consciousness, dropping to the floor. Clark managed to reach her before she fell completely, catching her and making sure she didn’t injure her shoulder any more. Phelan dropped to the ground behind him, coughing and sputtering, not paying attention to the scene that was playing out in front of him.

“What is she?!” he demanded once he got a little of his breath back. “You know how much money that chic could make me?”

Clark gently set Harper on the ground, careful of her injuries, before turning on Phelan. “Leave her out of this, Phelan. She’s injured. And not in her right mind.”

Phelan pulled himself to his feet. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, kid. I’m the one in control here.”

Clark crossed his arms and glared at the pathetic excuse of a man in front of him. “You really think that? How about I wake her up again? And this time, I really don’t have any plan to stop her. That was a one time thing.” he snapped. “So keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“We’ve got a job to finish, Kent. Just keep that in mind. Or your father won’t be the only one with a sudden problem.”

 

* * *

 

Lex burst through the hospital doors, looking around frantically. He saw Grant down the hall and ran after him. “What happened?!” he demanded, following the doctor towards a room.

Grant frowned and looked at a clipboard. “I’m not sure. Clark brought her in. Said she collapsed. But that she had been around meteor rock quite a lot recently.”

Lex blinked a few times before realization dawned on him. “She’s been working with it to find a more effective treatment to cancer. She’s been making good progress.”

Grant raised an eyebrow at Lex before looking back down at the chart. “Interesting.” he muttered to himself. “Clark said that she wasn’t acting like herself. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary with her lately?”

Lex paused a moment as he thought about it. “Well, she was really upset earlier this morning. Phelan decided to rear his ugly head. And he harassed her and Clark. Something about the bus accident in Metropolis. But I don’t see what they had to do with it. She said he’s been hanging around Clark. And I think he got Jonathan Kent thrown in jail on false murder charges.

“But she was more…assertive? No, that’s not the right word…forceful? Whatever, she just wasn’t quite herself.”

Grant nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her. I’ve got her sedated for now. Clark said she hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. I’ll monitor all her vitals. Did you call Ken and Sarah?”

Lex nodded. “Already done. They should be here any minute. They were in Metropolis on business.” Lex glanced towards the room, where he saw Harper lying in the hospital bed, nurses around her. “Can I see her before I go?”

Grant pursed his lips. “I don’t see why not. I can’t guarantee that she’ll wake up, but you can see her.”

Lex nodded and stepped inside the room, relief flooding his features when he was sure that she wasn’t injured any more. He sighed and ran a hand over his scalp. “This is all my fault.” he muttered. “I knew I should have had someone keep an eye on you.”

“But then I wouldn’t be able to surprise you anymore.”

He looked up at her face, a small smile taking over as she looked up at him groggily. The relief that flooded through his system was akin to an adrenaline rush. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her fogy vision. “What happened?” she asked.

Lex sighed. “Clark said you collapsed in the barn. That you weren’t acting like yourself.”

She frowned, trying to remember. The last thing she was sure of was Clark coming to the therapy center. She remembered him telling her…something…but she wasn’t sure what. She almost growled in frustration as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t remember.” she said weakly, looking up to Lex with wide, scared eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay.” he said, sitting beside her on the bed. He leaned over her and brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. “We’ll figure it out.”

Amidst the dense cloud that still surrounded her mind, she remembered one thing clearly. “It had something to do with Phelan…” she said with a frown, trying to piece the fragments together. “Lex, something bad happened…Clark is in trouble.”

It was obvious how scared she was, and he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It’s okay, pipsqueak. I’ll take care of it.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. Harper closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks. “I have to go. But your parents should be here any minute.”

“Lex, don’t leave!” she exclaimed, reaching out to grab his arm as he made a move to get up. Her actions stopped him mid stride, and looking at her terrified expression, he sat back down.

A soft smile crossed his features. “Never.”


	16. The Reckoning - Within Temptation ft Jacoby Shaddix

Harper groaned as she came to, blinking slowly as her vision was still foggy. Her head hurt like heck, and she felt something wet and sticky on her face. The dank smell of must and mold hit her nose, making her want to gag. She winced at the loud screech that assaulted her ears. Squinting as sunlight hit her face, she tried to turn her head to figure out where she was. It was a warehouse from the looks of it. Her thoughts still bogged down from being unconscious, she tried to stand, but frowned when she found that she couldn’t move.

“Let her go…” a voice slurred.

Harper turned her head in the direction the voice was coming from, panic flooding through her as her eyes settled on Lex. His back was to her, but she would know that voice anywhere.

But why was he upside down?

She groaned as she moved even slightly, her whole body alight with pain.

Why was he in a straight jacket?

There was a click and she hissed as a bright white light flooded the area, casting her and Lex in a warm glow.

“What do you want from me?” Lex asked, his voice carrying through whatever room they were in.

Harper, for her part, was still trying to figure out what was going on. “Lex?” she mumbled, her tongue feeling like lead in her mouth.

“The truth,” another voice rang out.

Harper squinted as a man walked directly in front of her. Lex said something in response, but she was too busy trying not to black out again to pay attention.

“LIAR! That’s what it said in the police reports, but that’s not what really happened!”

Harper looked up as she heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

“IT’S THE TRUTH!” Lex screamed, struggling against the straightjacket that was holding him hostage. “Read the police reports!”

The man growled and stalked towards Lex, spinning him around. Then he turned back to Harper, levelling the barrel of his gun at her chest. Lex’s left eye was swollen shut and he sported a large bruise on his cheek. He looked at Harper with an expression that she couldn’t quite place. “I know you covered it up. I don’t know how you did it, but you’re going to pay.”

“Who are you?” Lex asked, squinting up at the man.

“Don’t you remember? Huh? You killed me.”

The man turned to Harper once again. “Daddy can’t save you this time, Lex. And you can’t save _her_.”

A gunshot rang out through the warehouse, followed by a scream of rage and pain.

 

***ONE WEEK EARLIER***

 

Harper was sitting at her usual lunch table, absentmindedly eating an apple while she stared down at the homework she had been given. It would normally be a piece of cake for her, but with everything going on lately, her mind was in three different places all at the same time. She jumped when Clark, Chloe, and Pete appeared in front of her.

“Don’t scare me like that!” she insisted, glaring at all of them

Chloe just laughed.

“You okay, H? You seem jumpier than usual.” Pete said, frowning at her as he picked up his pizza.

She shrugged. So much had happened in the last couple months, and it was starting to take its toll on her. She had promised Lana that she would help with the Grand Opening of the Talon. The ambitious freshman had somehow talked Lex into helping her buy the old theater and turn it into an upscale coffee shop. The Beanery would have some competition.

Her shoulder had healed up quite nicely, but Grant still cautioned her against a lot of physical activity, but if she did do it, to be extremely careful.

She had gotten back to training with Clark, and she was right. She had to start back at the beginning. But her telekinetic muscles were as strong as ever seeing as she had used her abilities a lot more than she had been. She and Lex continued to get closer, and on more than one occasion, their relationship had been put under the microscope of the press and her friends.

“I’m fine.” she muttered.

Clark raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the paper in front of her. He knew it would be a breeze for her to finish, but the fact that she only had one equation half scribbled down tipped him off that something was bothering her.

“How’s work?” he ventured, knowing he was stepping on treacherous ground.

After she had recovered, she had readily gone back to LuthorCorp. That was quite the controversy in Smallville, and everyone seemed to have an opinion on her reasons for doing so. No one even knew that she was working there before the incident, and she was rather upset when everyone found out afterwards. She was always defensive about the whole situation, and most people knew better than to ask her about it.

But at the question, she seemed to perk up. “Work is good,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I’ve been making a lot of headway on my research. Lex has even pitched some of it to the National Health Institute to get ready for Clinical Trials.”

That revelation made everyone go silent. They just stared at her, varying degrees of shock on their faces.

“Dang, girl. I knew you were smart, but I had no idea you were _that_ smart.” Pete said.

Clark chuckled. “Don’t listen to him, H. I’m proud of you.”

She beamed at the praise that her friends began to give her. It made her feel like she was doing something worthwhile in the world.

Clark watched as she laughed at something Chloe said, getting out of the mental funk she seemed to be in. He thought he saw a flash of green in her steel colored eyes. But he blinked, and it was gone.

And then there was the whole Harper-almost-committing-murder situation. Clark hadn’t been able to look at her the same way since. He couldn’t get the cold and hard look in her eyes out of his mind. She looked lethal, deadly, and like a stone-cold killer. That wasn’t the Harper he knew. And he never wanted to see that again. But then again, he couldn’t really blame _her_. From what he could gather, she didn’t remember anything about the ordeal, and she barely remembered Phelan at all. The news of his death didn’t really phase her, and Clark wasn’t sure if that was because of her memory loss or because some part of her subconscious was still cold towards the man.

And he had been doing some research on the meteor rocks himself. And he had found that prolonged exposure to them caused some sort of a reaction in a person’s body, whether they were previously mutated or not. Maybe that’s what happened to Harper. Seemed logical enough. But he didn’t really want to bring it to her attention. Who knows how she would react. Maybe he could talk to Lex about it?

“Man, your accomplishments make our English assignment seem lame as heck.” Pete said, rolling his eyes and leaning back.

Harper frowned. “What?”

Chloe snorted. “We all got an assignment to write a 6-page biography of one of our classmates. Or a not-so-lucky volunteer. I got Clark, he got Lana, and Pete’s just mad cause he got the kid who runs the school store.”

Harper giggled. “Well, Pete, if you want, I would be more than happy to be your lucky volunteer.”

He seemed to brighten some at the thought. “Really?” he asked.

She grinned at him. “Sure! Meet me at the Beanery after school. I’ll answer all the questions you can think of!”

“Thanks, H. You’re the best.”

Her smile only grew. “I know.” she teased.

During her last period, Harper decided to skip out. She had a splitting headache and enough homework to last her a lifetime. She wanted a little bit of down time before she had to meet Pete, so she decided to head over to the Talon to see Lana. She had been excused from several classes in order to get the business up and running, and Harper had to admit that she was a little jealous of her.

Harper had to duck under a few ladders to reach Lana at the counter, but when she did, the two girls rapidly began catching up. Harper was honestly surprised how easily she began to open up to the younger girl. Sure, they were only a couple years apart, but Lana seemed surprisingly mature for her age. But Harper also knew that she came with a lot of baggage in the male department, specifically Whitney and Clark. The woman would have men chasing her for as long as she walked the planet.

As Lana was cracking up at a joke Harper made, a noise caught her attention, and she turned to see a man standing there awkwardly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. We’re not open yet.” Lana said, putting her coffee cup down on the counter.

The man shuffled his feet. “Yeah, um, it’s about the assistant manager position. I know I’m a little late, but if I could get an application, that would be great…”

Harper narrowed her eyes as Lana agreed and went to rummage through one of the small boxes behind the counter. There was something off about this man and she didn’t like it. She couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but there was something about him that sent chills down her spine.

“Just to warn you, my Aunt’s not taking any more interviews until next week.” Lana said.

He chuckled. “Well, that’s all right. I happen to have all the time in the world.” Then he stuck his hand out for a handshake. “I’m Jude Royce.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lana, and this is Harper.”

With narrowed eyes, Harper nodded at him, not saying anything. The longer he stood there, the louder the warning bells in her mind were sounding.

“So, I understand Lex Luthor has a stake in this project.” Jude said.

“Yeah, he’s one of the owners. Why, do you know him?” Lana responded.

So that was it. This guy was interested in Lex.

“Well, a lifetime ago in Metropolis.”

Lana laughed. “That must have been interesting.”

A crooked smile that didn’t reach his eyes flashed across his lips. “Let’s just say there’s a reason he’s in Smallville.”

Harper had to bite back a growl as she crossed her arms. “And he’s doing _a lot_ of good here. Not that people who judge him on his past would care.” she said coldly.

Jude turned his gaze to her. “You want my advice? Stay away from him. When Lex gets involved, things usually turn out badly.”

“He’s done a pretty good job here.” Harper snapped back. “And I for one appreciate everything he’s done.”

He snorted. “That’s because he hasn’t hurt you yet, sweetheart. You’ll learn that one of these days.”

Harper narrowed her eyes. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

His eyes flickered to Lana, who looked startled. “Well, it was nice to meet you both.” Then he turned and left without another word. Lana rounded on Harper once he had left.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” she snapped.

Harper growled. “That guy was trouble, Lana. Something didn’t feel right. I’m telling you, be careful around him.”

Lana crossed her arms and frowned. “Maybe you’re right…”

The doors opened once again, and Harper was ready to tear into whoever it was that walked in. But she let out a relieved sigh when she saw Clark and Lex.

“I hear we’ve sprung a leak.” Lex said as he approached them.

Lana nodded and looked around the Talon, a dazed expression.

“Everything okay?” Clark asked, looking between her and Harper.

Harper nodded. “Yeah. Just a little weirded out is all.” she said. It was obvious to Clark that she was uneasy about something, but he didn’t know what it was. Lex seemed to pick up on her mood as usual, and he frowned, trying to lighten the mood with some humor.

“Relax, it’s just a leak.”

She shook her head and Lana answered. “No, it’s not that. A friend of yours came by. Applied for the assistant manager position. And…and he said to stay away from you.”

Lex looked amused. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had things like that happen before. “What was his name?”

“Jude Royce.” Harper responded, picking up the application from the counter. She handed it to him, and the amused expression immediately dropped to a blank passive mask. For him, that was the equivalent of having seen a ghost.

“What is it, Lex?” Clark asked.

Lex looked up to Harper. She could see the panic in his eyes, and she frowned. Lex wasn’t one to get worked up over something small. So, she was right, the guy was bad news. “When did he leave?” he asked.

“A few minutes ago. Not long before you walked in.”

Lex turned and walked outside, the application clutched tightly in his hands. He looked up and down the street as Clark and Harper appeared after him. “Lex, who’s Jude Royce?” Clark asked.

Harper knew better than to ask that now, but apparently Clark didn’t.

Lex turned to his younger friend. “Trust me Clark,” he said while unlocking his car. “I have no idea who Lana and Harper saw today, but it wasn’t Jude Royce. Don’t worry about it. I’m not.” His eyes slid over Harpers, and she narrowed her eyes.

 _Liar._ she thought.

Lex climbed into his car and she made a move to follow when the speakers began to scream two words over and over. _Killer. Murderer._ She winced at the loudness, and it apparently caught the attention of other people on the street. Lex hit the radio, but it was no use.

“Check the dash!” Clark shouted, his eyes narrowed.

Lex did as he was told and jerked out a CD player that looked like it had been rigged into the car. Harper frowned.

“Looks like someone decided to get creative while I was inside.” Lex muttered.

People started muttering amongst themselves, but a sharp glare from Harper sent them all packing.

“Lex-”

“This really doesn’t concern you, Clark.” Lex said, ignoring his friend. He started to pull away from the curb when he slammed on the brakes. Harper had opened the door and dropped into the passenger seat, her arms crossed as she looked at him.

He glared right back, but after a few moments, sighed and gave up before roaring down the street.

“I don’t know who you think you’re fooling Lex, but it sure isn’t me.” she said after a moment.

His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, and she saw his jaw clench. “Who said I’m fooling anyone?”

She crossed her arms. “Lex. I know you too well for that. And I’ve spent enough time with you that I know when you’re hiding something. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

He sighed and looked over at her with a pained expression before turning his attention back to the road. “I can’t…”

Harper rolled her eyes and unbuckled her seatbelt, scooting over to the middle seat. Lex glanced at her multiple times before he reached his destination of the mansion. But his frantic mind was calmed simply by having her by his side. She had absentmindedly intertwined their fingers as he drove, her thumb tracing mindless patterns on the back of his hand.

In the garage, he sighed and turned to her. “Are you sure you want to know? I don’t know what I’m getting you involved in, heck, I don’t even know what-”

“Lex,” she said, cutting him off. He stopped, his eyes searching hers. “I can take care of myself. Trust me. But whatever this is, whatever you’re involved in, I’m in it with you.”

“But if something happened to you-”

She rolled her eyes. “I can take care of myself, Lex. How many times do I have to say it?”

That quieted him for the moment, and he sat there, a pained dilemma obvious on his features. His eyes searched hers for any doubt. They sat there for what seemed like hours, and Harper was getting lost in his chiseled features. It was all she could do to keep from closing the distance between them and pressing her lips against his.

She wasn’t sure where that sudden urge had come from, but it was there. And it didn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon. But she was jerked out of whatever trance she had been in when he started talking.

“Back in Metropolis, I wasn’t the best person. An employee of mine was cheating on his fiancée. So, I took her out to celebrate their recent engagement. He told her he had to go on a business trip. Went to a club called Zero. Turns out, that’s where her scumbag of a fiancé was, with two strippers in his lap. She saw it and broke it off right there. Threw his ring back and everything. I told her I would drive her home. As we were leaving, the guy came at me.”

Harper could feel her heart start racing at what was coming next.

“He pulled a knife on me. The security guard pulled a gun and Jude took it. And in the middle of it all, we were struggling for it. It…it went off. Killed him almost instantly. His name was Jude Royce.”

He looked away, dropping her hand.

“Oh, Lex…” she said. She gently cupped his cheek and turned his head towards her. “That’s not your fault. It was an accident. It could have been either one of you.”

He sighed, averting his eyes. “But I’m glad it was him…”

“Hey, look at me.” she said. “So am I. Because that means I get to have you in my life. Honestly, I would be so lost without you and Clark.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up and he turned his head, pressing his lips into her hand. “How did I end up with someone like you in my life?” he asked after a moment. 

She grinned. “By driving your car off a bridge.”

He laughed. “Fair enough.”

She glanced at the clock on the dash. “Look, I’ve got to meet Pete to help him with a school project. But I’ll come over after. I might even make you a Harper Special for dinner.”

He smiled. “I’d like that.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Be careful, okay? Call me before you come over.”

She grinned and rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, mom.” She got out of the car and headed out of the garage, grabbing one of the spare boards Lex had suddenly come into possession of. Lex watched her leave before letting out an exasperated sigh and banging his head against the headrest behind him.

God, how he had wanted to kiss her. The way she looked at him, no fear, no pity, nothing like that. Just compassion. Her ferocity when it came to her friends was a quality he found attractive in anyone. But the way she immediately jumped to his defense, no matter what front it was on, was something that never ceased to amaze him. When she would smile at him, _really_ smile, he could tell how happy she was. Her eyes would light up and hold a spark that he rarely saw otherwise. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he would do anything within his power to make sure she was happy. And if it meant using his last breath, he would be more than willing to do whatever it took to make sure he protected her.

It had been a long time since he felt that way about anyone.

But then he cursed himself, realizing who it was he was thinking about.

Harper was an amazing young woman. She was strong, independent, brilliant, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She could rule the world if she so chose, outpacing Lex in his own ambitions.

But she was also only seventeen. She was a high school student with a brilliant mind and an amazing personality.

She was a minor, and he was falling hard. He knew it was wrong, but he would give anything just to _hold_ her. No ulterior intentions what so ever. He just wanted to feel the weight of her in his arms. Not like it hadn’t happened before, but Lex was beginning to appreciate every little stolen moment the two of them shared. He sighed as he closed his eyes, realizing it was probably never going to happen.

Twenty minutes later, Harper was jogging down the street to get to the Beanery. She managed to make it just in time, albeit with wild hair and short of breath. She found Pete waiting for her in her favorite spot. She grinned as she made her way over to him. “Hey,” she said, making him look up. He smiled when he saw her approach, but it faltered slightly when he saw her ruffled appearance.

“What happened to you?” he asked as she dropped into the chair across from him.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself somewhat collected. “There was an…incident…at the Talon with some creeper from Lex’s past.”

Pete raised an eyebrow. “I bet that didn’t go well.”

She shook her head. “Not at all… But that’s beside the point.” she said with a smile. “You have a project to work on, and I have questions to answer.”

He grinned at her. “So, I can really ask you anything I want?”

Harper nodded. “Ask away, my friend. I’m an open book.”

He glanced down at his notebook. “Why did you take a job at LuthorCorp?” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “Wow, getting into the thick stuff right away, huh?”

He chuckled. “I figure I know all the basics to fill the first page. No one wants to read all about your favorite color, H.”

Harper laughed. “Fair enough. I took the job at LuthorCorp because Lex promised me I would be able to help people.”

Pete frowned briefly before grabbing the recorder that Chloe had lent him. She chuckled as he turned it on, realizing it would be easier to just record her answers instead of trying to write them all down.

“Let’s try this again…” he muttered. “Why did you take a job at LuthorCorp?” he asked again.

She grinned and repeated her answer.

“So, did Lex have anything to do with taking your job?”

She shrugged. “Well, sure. I mean, he was the one who recruited me. He had to make a pretty good pitch to get me to _actually_ accept the job. I didn’t want him to hire me because I helped save his life.”

Pete frowned and shook his head. “No, no, that’s not what I mean. Did your relationship with him have anything to do with it?”

Harper raised an eyebrow. “You mean friendship?”

“Is that what you’re calling it?”

She scoffed. “Of course. _Because that’s what it is._ I don’t know what you and the rest of Smallville are smoking, but believe me when I tell you, Lex and I are nothing more than friends.”

“But you’re close?” Pete pressed.

Harper gave him a funny look. “As close as you and I are, Pete. Or as me and Clark. I trust him, yeah. And he trusts me. But I mean, that tends to happen when you save someone’s life.”

He nodded before pausing the recorder. “I’m sorry, H. You know people are gonna be asking about it. I figured it would be best to get those questions out of the way.”

She paused briefly as he continued recording and asked another question. But her mind was still focused on Lex. She answered the questions as well as she could as her mind whirled with confusing thoughts and feelings.

She honestly meant it when she said she cared about Lex the same way she did Clark. He was one of the few people she allowed to get close to her, to see her for who she really is. She could count on one hand the people that had that opportunity. But did that mean she thought of Lex as more than a friend because of it?

Harper had to admit that she found him attractive. Both his body and mind. She knew enough to realize that he could have any woman he wanted swooning at his very _presence._ And if all she knew him on was his looks and money, then she might be one of those women. But the fact that she knew him, really _knew_ him, made their relationship all the more…special.

He allowed her to see the rare, genuine smiles that were reserved for the more private moments in his life. He let her in on some of the secrets he held. He trusted her enough to tell her about his past. And she had a sneaking suspicion that her relationship with him had something to do with Phelan’s death. The look in his eyes when he told her what happened, it was almost animalistic. Possessive, even.

He tended to keep people at a distance, both figuratively and physically. She noticed he had what she would call a bubble. People gave him a fairly wide berth, and most didn’t even come within three feet of him. Clark was allowed the occasional handshake, a clap on the shoulder, or even a friendly half-hearted shove.

But she was different.

He allowed her to _touch_ him. She could encroach on his personal space as much as she wanted, and he never said a word. She could grab his hand, run her fingers over his shoulder, hug him, even use his lap as a footstool. And he neve once complained or told her to stop. That had to count for something, right?

But then there were moments when she wasn’t so sure their relationship was pure innocence.

When he would lean on the car in front of her, basically trapping her between the interior of the vehicle and his body.

When he would whisper something in her ear, a reassurance or a question, his breath tickling her ear and sending a shiver down her spine.

When he would hold her hand as he dragged her along with him down the street, laughing and smiling at some joke he had made.

When he sat by her hospital bed, quietly asking her to be okay as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles and refused to give up his vigil.

When he saw her at the Art Museum, his eyes hungrily raking over her body, taking in her appearance in the clingy dress she wore.

When he sat across from her in the car, holding her hand and revealing secrets of his past, leaning in just slightly, making her want to beg for him to close the distance between them.

When she would playfully tease him, adding innuendos they both knew were less than innocent.

When she would lean over and kiss his cheek just for the heck of it, because it felt right in that moment.

When she would spontaneously hug him, just to feel the weight of his arms around her much smaller frame.

When she would throw him knowing and seductive looks after something she said.

When she would lean against him as they watched movies, happily inhaling the scent of his cologne as she longed to stay there forever.

When she sat across from him in the car, listening to the secrets he revealed to her as her eyes memorizing every feature on his face, wondering what it would feel like to run her tongue over the scar above his lip.

So maybe they were less than innocent at times.

But Harper valued her friendship with him too much to ever make a move on anything she felt. She respected him too much to let that happen. She cared too much about his public reputation for one slip up on her part to burn down everything he had worked for.

She sat there in the Beanery, analyzing all of this as Pete continued to throw questions at her. And she always answered them truthfully and with as much focus as she could, considering the places her mind was going.

“So, we all know you’re a genius-”

“Thank you.” she cut him off with a smile.

He grinned and rolled his eyes. “But what gave you the idea to use meteor rocks as an alternative treatment for cancer?”

Now that one she had to think about for a moment. It seemed like years ago that she had the idea, but in reality, it was only a few months. “Remember the incident with Sean?”

Pete frowned. “The one that had it out for Chloe?”

She nodded. “Yeah. There was evidence of high levels of radiation in his system. But it wasn’t a normal type of radiation. I still haven’t figured out the exact chemical make-up of the meteor rocks, but that’s beside the point. So, I started thinking about the different causes of radiation. Turns out, Sean took a late-night swim in the middle of Crater Lake. Exposed him to a huge amount of radiation. And as it so happened, that radiation killed out any type of infection he might have had.”

Pete stayed quiet for a moment, thinking it over. “But didn’t it also screw with his mind?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It changed his personality. Well, sort of. It impaired certain types of brain functions and heightened others-”

She stopped mid-sentence, her mind settling on something else.

“Harper?”

“Hm?” she asked, frowning as she tried to organize her thoughts.

He glanced at the clock before cursing. “Crap, H. I didn’t mean to keep you this late. It’s almost eleven. I think I’ve got enough for now. Thank you for all your help.”

She nodded absentmindedly, her mind still churning on something else. They both jumped when Clark suddenly appeared beside them.

“Harper, I need your help.”

She felt her heart jump into her throat, and she put a hand on her chest, feeling the rapid beating beneath her fingers. “Jeez, Kent!” she exclaimed. “What have I told you about sneaking up on me?!”

“I know, I know.” he said, leaning down to pull her up, much to her chagrin. “But you need to run damage control.”

She tried to wiggle her arm out of his grasp as he picked her up and set her back on the floor. Pete watched the scene play out with interest and mild concern.

“Everything okay, Clark?” Pete asked.

“Not really, no.” he said. “Lex’s past is rearing its ugly head again.”

She rolled her eyes. “Clark, if you hadn’t noticed, that happens on almost a daily basis.” she snarked.

“But does a ghost?”

She immediately stilled, the color seeming to drain from her face. “Royce?”

He paused, giving her a confused look. “How’d you know?”

She waved him off. “Lex told me. But what happened?”

Clark’s gaze flicked to Pete. “What you hear stays between the three of us. Got it, man?”

Pete nodded vigorously. “Sure thing, bro.”

“Someone dropped a package at the Talon addressed to Lex. There…there was a hand in it.”

Her eyes widened. “Like…”

“A _hand,_ hand. Severed and all.”

She cursed under her breath and ran a hand through her hair. “That’s great…” But then she frowned. “What exactly am I supposed to do about it?”

Clark sighed. “Lex told me to stay out of it. Again. He snapped at Lana. And now he’s gone off grid. I figured if anyone could track him down, it would be you.”

She bit her lip as she thought. “There’s one place I know. But what am I supposed to do when I find him?”

He sighed. “Calm him down. Talk some sense into him. I think he might end up doing something he regrets.”

Clark physically took a step backwards when her eyes flashed at him. Green rings shot out of the middle of her pupil to the outer ring of her steel blue iris, giving her eyes a glowing effect. It passed as quickly as it had come, but he knew it had happened. He knew he wasn’t imagining things anymore.

“I’ll find him.” she said.

The next day saw Clark sifting through several files on the Torch computer as his search for Lex continued. Harper had worked through the night trying to find him, but he was good at hiding. And when he didn’t want to be found, not even one of Lionel’s hounds would be able to sniff him out. She figured it was his equivalent to hide and seek. And she had won all those games as a child, she didn’t see the need to break that streak now. Besides, two could play at that game.

Clark had been running interference with her parents and the rest of their classmates, working over time to cover her tracks. But with Chloe digging into his life as she continued her research for her paper, he had a hard time keeping track of everything he had to do. He couldn’t even remember what lie it was he had told Harper’s parents the previous night. Something about her getting stranded and her truck breaking down?

For the first time since the whole ordeal began, he was starting to understand her need to share her secrets with someone. And he was beginning to warm to the idea of her talking to Lex.

After all, she had her own secrets and burdens to worry about, plus she was carrying around Clark’s big secret as well. No wonder she was feeling overwhelmed. And he was starting to get frustrated himself. Chloe had been sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, where he had asked her _not_ to stick it.

And he found that out when he discovered the research on the agency that handled his adoption. He read over the information with a clenched jaw and a subtle anger building in his body. He was mostly doing it for her protection, but the fact that Chloe showed a blatant disrespect for his privacy was the main issue. He had talked to her about it before, but obviously she hadn’t gotten it through her head.

So, when she stepped inside the Torch, listening with enthusiasm to a story that Pete was telling her about Clark (when he was still trying to get a handle on his abilities no doubt), he lost it.

* * *

Harper pulled up to the old warehouse, the engine of her truck rumbling in the quiet afternoon air. It had taken her all night and the better part of the day to track Lex down. She had called in the numerous amounts of favors that people owed her, as well as going off what she could weasel out of his staffers. She had managed to track down the old warehouse, which she discovered he was using as a quiet retreat. But he couldn’t get much quieter than Smallville, so she wondered what he was doing all the way out here. The warehouse was about an hour north of Smallville, a part of an abandoned factory if she had to guess. He had told her about it once before, and she was kicking herself for not thinking about it sooner.

The engine died as Harper climbed out of her truck, putting her hands in the pockets of her signature bomber jacket as she headed inside. She could hear the muffled sounds of pounding and the occasional bang of a drum from whatever music he had going. She figured he had to get himself pretty worked up to come all the way out here and to keep it a secret.

He was angrily pounding away at the punching bag when she stepped in. She didn’t like the expression on his face. “Lex?” she called softly.

He briefly paused in his onslaught, glancing up at her. Sweat was dripping down his face and his breathing was short and ragged. He wore an expression that she would almost call animosity.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped.

She rolled her eyes. “You can run, Lex. But come on. You should know by now that you can’t hide from me.”

He growled. “That doesn’t answer my question, Harper.”

She raised an eyebrow. In all the months that they had grown closer, he had never once raised his voice at her. He had never snapped at her, and he had never looked at he like that. Sure, he had gotten annoyed at her name calling and constant teasing, but he _never_ looked like that. He looked about ready to tear into her. “I was worried about you.” she said softly. “You just…disappeared…”

He took another swing at the swaying punching bag. “There’s a reason people do that.” he snapped. “It’s called wanting to be alone.”

“You know, try as you might, you can’t just shut out the people that care about you, Lex. Especially not when crap like this turns up.” she growled. “I’m here because I want to help you. Because both Clark and I are worried, and because I don’t want to see you consumed by the demons of your past. Believe me, that can never end well.”

“What do you want?” he asked, continuing to pound away at the bag. “You found me, congratulations.”

She frowned at him. “This is about this so-called ghost that keeps popping up, isn’t it?”

He growled again, this time stopping to fully face her, almost ripping the boxing gloves from his hands. “You don’t know what it’s like, Harper. You have no idea what it’s like to walk around with _that_ kind of guilt.”

“You wanna bet?” she responded, her eyes darkening. “I may not have shot somebody, but I know what it feels like to think that you’re cursed. To think that all you’ll _ever_ be good for is keeping secrets. To know that with every freaking breath you have to lie to those closest to you. To think that you’ll never be good enough for the concern that people show you. Trust me, Lex. _I know more than you think._ ”

He paused, her storm of words taking him by surprise. And she stood there in front of him, fists clenched and shaking at her sides, tears of anger and…pain…streaking down her cheeks. But she still didn’t leave.

He opened his mouth to say something when another man interrupted them. He turned his attention to the suit, his eyes leaving Harper as she angrily wiped away the wetness from her cheeks. But he was nowhere near finished with _that_ conversation. “Talk to me, Mister Raines.”

The suit glanced at Harper but decided to speak. “According to the doorman, Kasich never made it to the apartment in Metropolis.”

Lex sighed. “What about Royce?”

Raines shrugged. “His parents died when he was young. Car accident. He was an only child and inherited everything.”

“What about Amanda Rothman? Tracked her down yet?”

“She moved, left no forwarding address. When’s the last time you talked to her?”

“About three years ago.” Lex deadpanned.

Raines rolled his eyes. “I’ll go wider but it could take some time. It would help if you tell me what’s going on.”

Lex growled. “No, it wouldn’t.” he snapped. “You’re my head of security. You’ll find her and warn her that she could be in danger. That’s all you need to know.” He turned away and drove his gloved fist into the punching bag once again, sending it swinging.

Raines sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, sir.” he muttered. “Miss Scott.” He nodded to Harper as he walked away, and she returned the favor.

“So, now are you going to tell me what this is about?”

He ignored her and continued beating away at the bag. She huffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms at his childish actions. If he was going to give her the silent treatment, then she would just wait until he came around. She was getting ready to jump up into the boxing ring to sit and watch him beat away his frustrations when she felt something cold on the back of her neck. She turned her head slightly to see Jude standing there, his finger pressed to his lips. He nodded to Lex’s back, and she glanced at her friend.

“Lex?” she asked, her voice thick as she tried to swallow the terror that was consuming her. When he didn’t answer, she tried again.

“Lex…” she squeaked.

Hearing the different tone in her voice, Lex turned, frowning, before his jaw went slack. Jude was standing part way behind Harper, his hand gripping her arm in a vice and the gun pressed against her chin.

“Nothing to say? Huh, I thought Lex Luthor had _all_ the answers.”

“Look, you twisted son of a bi-”

Jude tsked him. “Now, now. That’s no way to talk in front of a lady, is it?”

Lex growled as Harper flinched when the gun was pressed further into her skin. “What do you want?”

Jude chuckled. “I want to know what happened at Club Zero. The cover up.” He readjusted his grip on Harper and forced her forwards a couple steps, making Lex look to her with a pained expression. “You know that cop, Phelan? The one in the report? He’s dead. Seems you had something to do with that because of this lovely young lady. You see, I find that _very_ interesting.”

“Why don’t you just kill _me_ and get it over with? Leave her out of it.”

Jude laughed, and the manic sound sent a chill down Harper’s spine. “Because it’s more fun to watch you suffer. To know that any minute…BANG!”

When he shouted bang, the window behind them exploded. Lex ducked to avoid the flying glass while Harper screamed as Jude grabbed her and wrenched her backwards. “Harper!” Lex shouted, trying to stand and get to her. He felt something hard collide with the back of his head and he grunted, falling to the ground.

Harper tired to make a move towards him but a shock coursed through her entire body as a taser was pressed under her ear, knocking her unconscious in a few moments.

* * *

“Still no word from Lex. Or Harper for that matter. She was supposed to check in over three hours ago.” Clark said to Chloe as the rushed around the Torch, trying to connect the dots. Jonathan had discovered a bunch of bio-waste that was dumped on his property earlier that morning, and it was all from LuthorCorp. But Clark knew better.

Chloe frowned. “Think they’re okay?”

Clark sighed. “I don’t know.”

* * *

Harper groaned as she came to, blinking slowly as her vision was still foggy. Her head hurt like heck, and she felt something wet and sticky on her face. The dank smell of must and mold hit her nose, making her want to gag. She winced at the loud screech that assaulted her ears. Squinting as sunlight hit her face, she tried to turn her head to figure out where she was. It was a warehouse from the looks of it. Her thoughts still bogged down from being unconscious, she tried to stand, but frowned when she found that she couldn’t move.

“Let her go…” a voice slurred.

Harper turned her head in the direction the voice was coming from, panic flooding through her as her eyes settled on Lex. His back was to her, but she would know that voice anywhere.

But why was he upside down?

She groaned as she moved even slightly, her whole body alight with pain.

Why was he in a strait jacket?

There was a click and she hissed as a bright white light flooded the area, casting her and Lex in a warm glow.

“What do you want from me?” Lex asked, his voice carrying through whatever room they were in.

Harper, for her part, was still trying to figure out what was going on. “Lex?” she mumbled, her tongue feeling like lead in her mouth.

“The truth,” another voice rang out.

Harper squinted as a man walked directly in front of her. Lex said something in response, but she was too busy trying not to black out again to pay attention.

“LIAR! That’s what it said in the police reports, but that’s not what really happened!”

Harper looked up as she heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

“IT’S THE TRUTH!” Lex screamed, struggling against the straightjacket that was holding him hostage. “Read the police reports!”

The man growled and stalked towards Lex, spinning him around. Then he turned back to Harper, levelling the barrel of his gun at her chest. Lex’s left eye was swollen shut and he sported a large bruise on his cheek. He looked at Harper with an expression that she couldn’t quite place. “I know you covered it up. I don’t know how you did it, but you’re going to pay.”

“Who are you?” Lex asked, squinting up at the man.

“Don’t you remember? Huh? You killed me.”

The man turned to Harper once again. “Daddy can’t save you this time, Lex. And you can’t save _her_.”

A gunshot rang out through the warehouse, followed by a scream of rage and pain.

Lex screamed Harper’s name, dread, pain, and fear welling up inside him. But instead of seeing her lifeless body drop to the floor, he saw something completely different.

Her eyes glowed as a wave of telekinetic energy burst from her body. The bullet went flying in the opposite direction, shooting straight through Jude’s forehead, swerving, and then heading straight for the man that was standing in the doorway. Jude’s now lifeless body went sailing over the railing beside them, and Harper stood as the other man crumpled to the floor. She cocked her head slightly, eyes focused on the chains that were holding Lex up. They rapidly disintegrated, the dust floating harmlessly off into the air. Lex was still suspended in the air as the strait jacket followed suit, freeing his arms. Her eye twitched and he slowly spun in the air, his position being righted as she lowered him back down to the ground.

He watched all this in amazement. Harper stood, her eyes still glowing and her hair blowing behind her as Lex found his footing. He looked down at the ground he was standing on then back up to her, trying to figure out what had happened. He cursed and lunged forward as her eyes rolled back and her knees buckled.

* * *

It was the grand opening of the Talon. Everyone in town was there, and Harper smiled as Lana made her way over to Clark. Not that she supported the situation, but she thought it was about time one of them did something about the obvious attraction they both shared.

She smiled as she looked out over the sea of people, happy that for once, something seemed to be going smoothly in Smallville. At least, she felt that way until Lex appeared in her line of vision.

“I have this feeling you’re avoiding me, pipsqueak.” he said with a teasing smile. “You look beautiful.” He took in the short black sweater dress she was wearing, which had been paired with see through tights and black combat boots, signature Harper style. The thought made him smile. It wasn’t too long ago that there was a big chance that she wouldn’t have been around to make him smile like that anymore.

Harper jumped at his sudden appearance, having been lost in her own thoughts. “I was just thinking…there’s a lot we don’t know about each other…”

He snorted. “You think my dark past is going to rub off on you. Trust me, I was trying to protect Amanda. My father wouldn’t have raised a finger to help her. But I knew he would do anything to protect his only son. That guy in the warehouse? Turns out he was just a lucky look alike. He was hired by the Contractor for the Talon, who turned out to be Amanda’s brother. Complete wacko if you ask me.”

“So, you took the fall and covered up the truth? Are you telling _me_ the truth this time, Lex?” she asked, her eyes hardening. He physically winced at her words.

“The _truth_ is that I’d do anything to protect my friends. Especially you. But I don’t think I’m the only one that’s been keeping secrets, Harper.”

She glanced at the ground, not willing to meet his gaze. “Yeah…” she agreed. She looked back up to Lex, her steel eyes searching his lighter ones. When she spoke, the fear was obvious in her voice. “I think…I think we need to talk…”


	17. Addicted - Saving Abel

Lex poured himself a glass of scotch as Harper made herself comfortable on the couch in front of the fireplace. He had a feeling this was going to be a long conversation, and he needed a drink to get through it. Since the events of a couple days ago, his mind had been reeling with unanswered questions.

But the first and foremost was; what is she?

She tucked her legs up under her as she made herself comfortable, her hands grasping the cup of steaming hot chocolate that she had. Her hair fell in her eyes and she made no gesture to move it, showing just how uncomfortable she was. She didn’t remember a whole lot about what had happened, but she had started to piece it together. And Lex’s suspicions and questions only confirmed what she thought had happened. 

He sat beside her, jerking her out of her thoughts. His lavender silk shirt had the first several buttons undone, and he had kicked off his shoes before joining her on the couch. He leaned his arm against the back of the furniture and angled his body towards her, tucking one leg under the other. 

"So,” he started. “Where do you want to start?”

Harper took a deep breath before setting her drink on the coffee table in front of them. She leaned forward and snatched the glass from Lex’s hands, downing the amber liquid in one gulp while Lex watched with a raised eyebrow. Her throat burned as she handed the now empty glass back to him.

“What do you want to know?” she asked quietly, fearing what his reaction would be. 

This is what she had been afraid of since the moment she decided to keep her abilities a secret; that Lex would find out that she lied to him. That he would hate her for it. That he would think she was a monster. 

She tried to get a read on him, but his features were blank as he thought it over. She could see the mental wheels turning, and she wondered what it was he was going to ask. She waited in the silence, the sounds of the second hand ticking on the clock like thunder in the deafening quiet that fell over the house. 

“What happened in that warehouse?”

Harper sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “I don’t remember a lot…” she admitted. 

He frowned at her, about ready to get up and leave. “Look, Harper. If you think lying right now is a good idea-”

"No, I’m not lying.” she interrupted. “This is the second time something like this has happened.”

He bit his lip, quiet for another moment as he tried to process this information. “Go on.”

“I remember…anger. I remember seeing you hanging there, strait jacket and all. I remember Jude. Or, I guess his doppelgänger, technically. And I remember a gun shot.”

Lex nodded. “Do you remember what you did?”

"Probably something that requires a lot of explaining?”

He chuckled. “Well, that would be nice. Harper, just tell me the truth. I might be able to help you.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing that she had another shot of the scotch. It burned and would most likely get her drunk in just a few sips, but it seemed to keep her focused. Lex noticed her apprehension and cracked a smile, standing and grabbing the alcohol. He sat down and handed her the entire container, which she took a large gulp from. 

"Better?” he asked. 

"I think so…”

He couldn’t stand the way her hair was falling in her eyes, obstructing his view of her beautiful features. So, he reached out and tucked the wild strands behind her ear. “You can trust me, Harper.”

It took another beat of silence, but then she opened her mouth. And the words wouldn’t stop coming. She told him everything, from the beginning. The meteor shower, the surgery, her symptoms over time, telling Clark, honing her abilities with his help, lying to her parents, and how bad she felt about it all. And she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as she begged for his forgiveness. 

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Lex. I don’t know if I could live with myself knowing that this stupid secret is what made you change your mind about me-”

"Hey, hey, hey.” he said, taking the bottle from her and wrapping her up in his arms. “It’s okay, Harper. I’m not mad at you.”

“You…you’re not?” she sniffled, her tears soaking through his thin shirt. 

His chest rumbled against her as he chuckled. “No, I’m not. I’m a little disappointed that you thought you had to hide this from me for so long, but I could never be mad at you for something like this.”

She let out a shaky breath as the revelation struck her. She didn’t know why she had been so worried about him finding out. She stayed in his embrace for several more minutes, just enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. Then she sniffled and pulled back, reaching for the liquor once again. Lex raised an eyebrow at her actions. 

"You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked. 

She shrugged. “Why not?” But as her fingers were about to close around the neck of the glass container, she stopped, a smile crossing her face before leaning back against him. She focused on the bottle, reaching out with her mind. And in a few moments, it was hovering towards her. 

Lex turned his head to look at her where she had curled up against him. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to seeing you do that.” he said. 

She grinned. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to tell you about it.” she responded, guiding the glass towards him. He grabbed it out of the air, looking back down at her. 

"Then why didn’t you?”

Harper frowned and didn’t say anything for a moment. “You saw what I did in the warehouse…” she said softly. “You saw what kind of a monster I am…I didn’t want you to think of me like that…”

She felt Lex jerk behind her, and suddenly, she was facing him. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten turned around so quickly, but her thoughts were quickly occupied as Lex stared her down, his gaze piercing, almost like he was staring into her soul. 

"Listen to me, Harper.” he said sternly. “You are not a monster. What you did was to protect yourself. And me. And I will forever be grateful for that. That’s the second time you’ve saved my life. You are a brilliant, beautiful, and strong young woman. You’re an amazing friend, and I’m so lucky to have ended up with you in my life. So, if you ever start thinking of yourself as a monster, I’ll be here to remind you otherwise.”

It was so nice to hear that kind of reassurance coming from him. After all, she had been terrified that he would just toss her out like yesterday’s trash. 

“You have an amazing gift, Harper.” he said, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “And I’ll do everything I can to help you figure this out. And if anyone tries to hurt you because of it? They’ll answer to me.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. 

He chuckled. “I’m always here for you, pipsqueak. Do me a favor, and don’t forget that.”

She nodded against him. 

“We should probably get you home. It’s getting late and your parents are probably worried about you.”  
Harper pulled back a little bit. “I told them I would probably stay with Lana after the opening. They’re in Metropolis anyway.”

Lex frowned. “I thought they were supposed to be there tonight?”

She shrugged. She had gotten used to her parents’ disappearances over the years. “Sometimes work stuff comes up. And it was their anniversary this weekend.”

He tucked his bottom lip between his teeth and made a mental note to send Ken and Sarah a gift. “Have you told them about any of…this?” he asked, gesturing towards her. 

She shook her head. “No. They worry about me enough as it is. I didn’t want to add another item to the list.”

He frowned at her. “So, you’ve been carrying this secret all by yourself?”

"No?”

“Clark doesn’t count, pipsqueak.”

“Why not?” she asked. “He’s a person!” 

Lex rolled his eyes. “A fifteen-year-old kid.”

That gave her pause. She never really thought about it before. Clark’s age had never been a factor in their friendship, and besides that, he was wise beyond his years. She supposed that probably came with the whole ‘alien’ package, but she wasn’t about to tell Lex that. “Touché.” 

They spent most of the night talking. Lex was understandably curious about her abilities and asked a lot of questions. There were still things she didn’t understand herself, so she explained it as best she could. The one thing that bothered her the most were these blackouts that she kept having. She told Lex everything she could remember about them, and then the memories hit her. She had killed two men and tried to kill another. 

She was a murderer. 

She stopped mid-sentence when she realized this, her eyes widening and her mind going blank to any other thought. 

“Harper?” Lex asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her attention to break her out of whatever trance she was in. 

She stared blankly in front of her, the full weight of the revelation settling on her shoulders. “Lex…” she said softly. “I’m…I…” She couldn’t finish the sentence as she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “I killed them.” she choked out. 

His eyes widened, and he cursed as she burst into tears, breaking down in front of him. He quickly wrapped her in his arms, whispering quiet assurances in her ear to try and calm her down. She tried to focus on his voice, but there was only one word that kept going through her mind, over and over.

_Murderer._

Just a few days ago, she was a somewhat normal kid, trying to survive high school and a job, while also figuring out her new abilities. She got good grades, had great friends, and parents that cared about her. Sure, her life had gotten a little more hectic since she had met Lex, and it was never dull, but she was content. 

And now?

Because of whatever weird crap her mind was doing, she had murdered two people and almost killed another. 

How was she supposed to wrap her head around that?

It didn’t make sense. Sure, when she was truly angry, she would be out for revenge on what or whoever had made her lose her temper, but the thought of any type of lasting physical harm had never once crossed her mind. She knew how to properly throw a punch, and she knew how to break an arm, but she had learned that purely for self-defense at the encouragement of her mother. 

But… _murder_?

A strangled sob escaped her lips as Lex held her tightly, gently stroking her arm as he continued to whisper reassurances. He could feel her panic as if it was his own, and it sent a wave of fear crashing through him. 

“Harper listen to me.” he said quietly. “That wasn’t you. It was whatever is inside of you that is protecting you, protecting your friends and family.”

“But-”

"No. Listen to me. It was protecting you. Those men were going to kill us both. Your survival instincts are what kept us _both_ alive.” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair. Her sobs had quieted, but she was still shaking like a leaf in the fall breeze. 

“Don’t make me go home…” she begged quietly. If there was one thing she needed, it was someone to be with her. She didn’t think she could tell Clark. She knew he had been distancing himself from her lately, and she had a feeling that it had something to do with her previous blackout. How would he react if he found out she _actually_ hurt someone?

* * *

The next morning, Harper woke with a quiet groan. She assumed she slept with her head at an awkward angle, judging by the piercing pain in her muscles. She blinked a couple times, trying to clear her vision of the fog of sleep. She frowned when she realized she wasn’t in her room. It wasn’t even her house. She moved to sit up but found a weight had been settled around her waist to hold her down. Frowning, she looked down and saw she was half on top of Lex, and his arm was wrapped tightly around her. 

It took a moment, but the memories of the night before flooded her mind. She felt her chest tighten as the weight of reality settled down on her. She took a deep breath, not wanting to disturb Lex. Judging by the sunlight that was streaming in through the window, it was past noon. She sighed and settled back down, laying her head on Lex’s chest. He moved slightly, positioning himself so that he slept with his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of coconut shampoo. Settling in again, she drifted into a peaceful sleep. 

She woke a few hours later with the comforter wrapped around her. She frowned as she sat up slightly, looking around the room for Lex. She sighed when she didn’t see him, swinging her legs out from the warm comforter, smiling when she realized she was once again wearing Lex’s clothes. She looked at the dying sunlight that streamed in through the window and sighed. Her parents were bound to be home soon, and she still needed to get her truck and go home. 

She wrapped the too long sleeves around her hands and quietly left the room. Her bare feet padded on the wood floor soundlessly as she made her way to the kitchen, both to look for Lex and quiet the grumblings of her stomach. She grinned when she saw him with his back to her, conveniently not wearing a shirt. She remembered that he was like Clark, putting out an inhuman amount of heat. She quietly walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his bare waist and laying her head on his back, letting out a contented sigh. When he didn’t seem surprised at the action, she took it as confirmation that she could continue. She felt him chuckle and move whatever it was he was doing before turning around in her arms. 

He snorted at the discontented sound she made, smiling down at her. 

Harper wasn’t wearing any makeup, her hair was a mess, and she had just crawled out of his bed. But Lex thought she was the most beautiful woman on the face of the planet. 

"What time is it?”

He glanced at the clock on the wall before wrapping his arms around her in turn. “Almost four.”

She grinned up at him. “What’s for breakfast?”

He laughed, the sound like music to her ears. “Fettucine alfredo.” he said, pressing his lips to her forehead and lingering a little longer than necessary. But neither of them decided to complain. “It’s not quite ready yet. If you want a shower, go ahead and take one. Use the bathroom in my bedroom.”

She nodded. At this point, a shower sounded amazing. “I’ll be back in a bit.” she said. She stood on her tip toes and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose before laughing and turning away, heading back to the room she had come from. 

Lex had to stop himself from smacking her rear as she walked away. It wasn’t his fault his clothes didn’t fit her right. And it wasn’t her fault that they showed off the sway of her hips as she walked. He smiled as he turned back to cooking, once again thinking about how _good_ she looked in his clothes. And he had to admit, he wished there was a less than innocent reason for her wearing them in the first place. 

About half an hour later, she was finished and running her fingers through her still damp hair. Lex was just starting to dish up their food when she walked in. He glanced at her when she snatched a piece of freshly baked garlic bread and took a bite. “Hand me that parsley, would ya?” he asked, gesturing to the bundle of green beside her. 

She reacted without even thinking.

He paused when the herbs lifted into the air, floating over to him. He shook his head quietly and plucked the bundle out of the air. “That’s gonna take a while to get used to.”

Harper immediately realized what she had done, her cheeks reddening as she dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry-”

He gave her a sharp look. “Don’t apologize, Harper. I want you to feel comfortable enough around me to use your abilities. And that means I have to get used to it.”

She nodded once, still not looking at him and he winced, realizing that sounded a little too harsh.  
Lex sighed. “Look at me, pipsqueak.” he said. 

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his. 

“I think you have an amazing gift. And I want you to feel like you can trust me enough to share it.”

Her gaze softened when she realized he thought he had hurt her feelings. “Oh Lex,” she said, going around the island to give him a hug. “I do trust you. More than you realize.”

“Good.” he said. 

They ate in record time, Harper realizing that her parents were extremely likely to beat her home. And they probably wouldn’t be too happy to find out that she had spent the night with Lex. Once they were finished, he drove her back to the Talon, where she picked up her truck. He waited until she got the vehicle started and she waved goodbye before leaving. The drive back to her house was silent, the radio not playing. She just wanted to think. 

She had about a thousand things to keep straight in her head. Her main concern at that moment was figuring out what to do with the knowledge that her…alter ego…had killed two people. Obviously she thought about talking to the chief, but doing that she knew would only get herself into more trouble. She took a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Lex had told her that he would take care of it. Whatever that meant… She honestly didn’t want to think about it. 

Then there was Clark. She had seen the way he had been acting around her lately. She assumed it had something to do with the blackouts she had been experiencing. There was no way she could face him and tell him what she had done. He wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye. And honestly, she didn’t blame him. She didn’t much care for the person she was turning out to be either. 

Then there was the whole ordeal with the blackouts. She knew it was somehow connected with her new abilities, but she didn’t know _how_. She would need to run a plethora of tests to find out, including an MRI, CT scan, and an EEG.  She didn’t know where to get her hands on that type of equipment. She could ask Lex, but she knew that was a little far fetched, even for him. But, her yearly exam was coming up with her surgeon. If she managed to convince her parents to let her go by herself, she would be able to get what she needed by complaining about blackouts, headaches, and slight memory loss. She had been consulting Doctor Reyes on all of her progress as far as her research, and he was more than excited for her ideas to go to clinical trials. He had several patients that would qualify for the procedures, and he was more than willing to assist her with whatever she needed. And she knew he would be happy to share the results of her tests with her, knowing she would find out sooner or later.

Thinking about her research also sent a pang of guilt coursing through her. She had skipped out on work that day, but she knew Lex would have tried to fight her if she said anything about it. She figured she would just make up for it the next day by being there early and staying later. She knew that wouldn’t totally make up for it, but it was a start. 

When she got home, she was extremely thankful to find that her parents still weren’t home. She had just enough time to run upstairs and change into her own clothes before the sound of the door opening signaled her parents' arrival. 

She yawned as she made her way downstairs, greeting them both with a hug. They asked about the grand opening, and she had to lie through her teeth about how much fun she had with Lana afterwards. She took a deep breath, knowing the longer she kept something from them, the worse it would be for her when they found out. But she was starting to find out how dangerous both she and her powers were becoming. And she would give up her own life before she let her parents get mixed up in her crazy, upside down, and sometimes terrifying, lifestyle. 

The next morning, she was up earlier than normal to go through her routine and head off to work. She was supposed to be having a last minute consult with another scientist about something to do with a really old plant. She hummed quietly to herself as she moved around her lab, moving things off the table in the center so Beales would have a spot to work. He came in earlier than she expected, and she raised an eyebrow at the large plant he was carrying. “Need some help?” she asked. 

He grunted as his lifted the plant up onto the table. “No, I got it. Thanks for helping me out with this, miss Scott.” 

She grinned. “Please, call me Harper. And it’s nice to finally meet you, Dr. Beales.” 

He chuckled and took her outstretched hand. “Well in that case, the pleasure is all mine. Call me James.” 

Harper rubbed her hands together in expectation, turning excitedly towards the plant. “You said something on the phone about the meteor rocks?” 

James nodded and gestured to the plant. “This is an extremely rare plant. Extinct, almost. I believe there’s only a couple left in existence. It’s called a Nicodemus.” 

She frowned, racking her brain as she tried to remember where she hears that before. “Didn’t that wipe out like three hundred people in a day?” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Very good. Where did you learn that?” 

She shrugged. “I spend too much time around Luthors. And it’s not a _rare_ species. It’s been _extinct_ for over a hundred years, and for good reason. After the plague it caused in the 1800's, everyone _burned_ it to death. My question, is why did you bring it back to life?” Harper took a step backwards, not wanting to be an anywhere near the deadly plant. 

He chuckled. “I assure you, this particular breed isn’t deadly.” 

She frowned. “Breed?”

James nodded. “I myself have been doing research on meteor rocks, though I use the fragments to test botanical life.” He smiled. “I hate to admit that I’m nowhere near as brave as you are, using the rocks for medical purposes. Brilliant research, by the way. Your paper was most enlightening. I look forward to seeing the results of clinical trials.” 

She nodded with a small smile. “Thank you. So, if this plant doesn’t kill, what’s the purpose? I’m sure it’s not your ordinary house plant.” 

He laughed. “This particular one alters your feelings. Sometimes, it can even go as far to twist your personality.” 

Harper crossed her arms and examined the plant. “I’m not so sure that’s the best idea…” she said. “There’s no telling the kind of biochemical effects that could have on the brain. Even just a slight chemical imbalance can be deadly.” 

She sneezed and coughed when the plant suddenly let out a burst of pollen. She waved a hand in front of her, trying to clear the air. “I’m sorry, James, I’m not sure what it is you want me to do. And I think I’m going to have to ask you to leave my lab.” 

He sighed but nodded. “I understand.” He picked up his plant and walked out of the room, Harper still coughing to try and clear the pollen from her lungs. He paused by the door, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a half smile. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Harper.” 

She pressed a button on her comm system, reaching security. “Derek, it’s Harper,” she started before a bout of sneezing and coughing took over again.   
His deep voice sounded through the intercom.

_“Harper, are you okay?”_

“Yeah,” she said, clearing her throat. “There’s a guy that just left my lab, James Beales. He’s carrying around a plant. And it’s a deadly plant, I don’t care what he says. Make sure he gets off the premises.” 

_“Sure thing, kiddo. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”_

She rolled her eyes. “You sound like Lex.” 

_“Its my job to make sure everyone in this building is safe. If you’re not, then I failed my job.”_

Harper laughed. “I’m fine, Derek. Thank you for your concern though.” She turned back to her work, taking a large drink from the coffee beside her computer before beginning to type up another report. 

* * *

The ringing of a phone cut through the silence in her lab, and Harper jumped. “Hello?”

_“Harper, are you okay?”_

She frowned. “Lex? Yeah, in fine. What’s going on?” 

She heard him sigh before continuing. _“Thank God. Derek called me a little while ago. That scientist that you saw today? I have no idea who he was. But one of my offsite scientists had something stolen from him earlier today. Did this Beales guy have anything with him?”_

“A plant, yeah. Wait, is your other scientist okay?! He wasn’t hurt, was he?” 

_“No, he wasn’t hurt. He was just rather pissed off at Beales. And he was in a car accident about two hours ago.”_

She frowned. “Is he okay?” 

_“I’m not sure. The other car? It was Jonathan.”_

Harper’s mouth dropped open, and she felt a sense of dread come over her. The mere thought of losing someone so important to her shook her to the very core. The phone slipped out of her now slack grasp as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her, hoping he was okay. 

_“Harper?!”_

Her nails dug deep into her skin as her fists clenched tightly. Filing cabinets on either side of her began to shake, and beakers went flying across the room behind her. 

_“HARPER!”_

It all came to an abrupt halt when she heard his voice through the speaker in her phone. She gingerly picked it up, looking around at the shattered glass that littered her previously spotless workspace.

“Lex?” she asked cautiously. 

He let out a relieved sigh. _“I thought I lost you there for a minute.”_

Harper took a shaky breath. “No…I’m here.” 

_“Good. Jonathan is okay. He’s the one that pulled Beales out of his vehicle. He’s fine, you got it?”_

She nodded. “Yeah…I got it…” 

_"I’m in Metropolis right now for a business meeting, otherwise I would come check on you myself. But I promise I’ll check in tomorrow morning. Quit working for now. Go see Clark and his parents. Then go home and get some rest.”_

She raised an eyebrow. “How do you know I’m at the lab?” 

She could practically see his eyeroll. _“Because I heard metal and glass.”_ he deadpanned. 

She snorted. “Fine.” He always seemed to have a sixth sense about her, and she was beginning to realize all the small (and big) things he did for her. Warmth filled her chest when she realized there was someone in the world who viewed her as special, someone who would go to the ends of the Earth to help her. 

_“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, Harper.”_

She agreed and hung up the phone, looking around the room with her hands on her hips. She would at least have to clean up her mess before she went home. She mumbled to herself about having to learn more control before shaking her head and grabbing a broom. 

As she swept, she thought about everything that had happened in her life recently, and she paused when she realized a lot of it had to do with her and Lex. The cycle of events that had been occurring seemed to revolve around the two of them. She had told everyone, Chloe, Pete, Clark, Lana, her parents, even _herself_ that their relationship would never be anything more than platonic. 

But the more she thought about it, the more she wished it wasn’t true.

* * *

Harper frowned at Clark. “You’re kidding?” 

He shook his head. “He literally picked up the shotgun, walked out of the house, and headed for town. I’m just glad I caught him before he could do anything rash.” 

She handed his new shirt. “ _He shot you, Clark_. With a shotgun. If that’s not _rash,_ then I don’t know what is.” She said with a roll of her eyes. 

He sighed as he stripped off the burnt and now hole filled red shirt. “At least it was me.” He muttered before pulling on the replacement that Harper had brought him. She briefly thought about how well muscled he was from both his super strength and years of working on the farm. And she wondered if the muscle she knew Lex hid under his silk shirt was prominent and toned like Clark or subtle and smooth. She hadn't paid much attention before. Frowning at her thoughts, she listened to what Clark was saying. 

“-hasn’t been himself lately. I don’t know…something was just…off.” 

She frowned. “He pulled a guy out of a truck, right?”   
Clark nodded, looking sheepishly at the ground. He had gotten a good scolding from her already about not telling her, and he didn’t wand to make the situation worse. 

“Did they find any weird plants in the wreck?” 

He frowned. “I don’t think so. Why?” 

Clark could see the wheels in her head turning as she chewed on her bottom lip. Whatever she was about to say, he knew it was extremely sciencey. “The guy that he pulled out was a scientist. He tried to pass something off as his own and I should have called security on him as soon as he showed me.” she muttered.

“Tell me what you’re thinking, H.” he said, setting a hand on her shoulder. “Help me figure this out.” 

She turned her steel fax to him, and he saw a brief flash of green in her eyes. “He stole a deadly and extinct plant from another scientist. He said it would alter a person’s feelings and personality. I think uncle Jon might have been exposed when he pulled James out of the wreck.” Her eyes widened and she cursed as she raked a hand through her hair. She started pacing, and Clark nervously smiled and waved off a doctor from coming into the room they occupied. “Then…then that means…” 

Clark grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stop and face him. “What happened, Harper?” he asked. 

“I was exposed…” she whispered quietly, fear flooding through her veins. 

He frowned. “Have you been feeling any different the last couple days? Have you said or done anything out of the ordinary lately?” 

Harper pursed her lips as she thought, but nothing obvious came to mind. “I don’t think so.”

Clark let out a relieved sigh. “Good. Then I think you’re okay.” 

She nodded. “I think someone needs to go look for that flower. If no one’s found it yet, I’m fairly sure that thing could be deadly.” 

He nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Chloe has been breathing down my neck about helping. I can send her and Lana out. But I’ll make sure to tell them to be careful.” 

“I’ll stay with Uncle Jon. Did they say how Beales was doing?” 

Clark shook his head. “I haven’t heard. You might want to check, though. I’ll get Lana and Chloe and my mom.” 

She nodded as he took off in the opposite direction, leaving her standing there with a somber mood. Harper headed out to sit with Jonathan, passing Grant on the way to his room. 

“Hey, Grant, have you heard anything about the guy that Jon brought in?” 

He sighed. “You’re not gonna like it, Harper. He went into a coma about an hour ago. I’m worried about Jonathan.” 

She bit her lip. “Hurry up, Clark.” she muttered.

* * *

The next morning, Harper found Clark in the Torch. She felt the unusual need for a hug, and no one else she knew would give her one. “Claaaaaark!” she whined, dropping dramatically into the chair across from him. 

He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “What’s up with you this morning?” he asked, barely paying her any mind before turning back to the computer.

She thought he might be doing some research, but at that point, she didn’t really care. 

She opened her mouth to reply when the door opened, revealing Lana. Harper raised an eyebrow at the younger girl's appearance, wondering what stripper she hit up for an outfit. Her leather skirt barely came past her hips, her boots were up to her thighs, and her shirt was unreasonably tight. Harper rolled her eyes when Lana said something to Clark, the suggestive tone evident in her voice. 

Clark got up to follow her but Harper’s whine made him stop briefly. He wasn’t sure what gave her this sudden need for attention, but he didn’t have time to deal with her at the moment. He had to figure out what Lana wanted and then try to finish his research on the flower. 

“You don’t love me!” she whined, moving to grab his arm. 

He huffed in annoyance. “I love you a lot, H. But I have to go with Lana right now. Why don’t you go visit Lex? I’m sure he would love to see you today.”   
She scowled. “Lana wants one thing, Clark. One thing. And don’t come crying to me when she figures out you can’t give it to her.” Harper’s annoyance was obvious in her voice when she stood up, brushing past Clark to leave him wondering what in the world it was that he had said to set her off. She had been moody the last couple weeks, and he thought it might have something to do with the stress of everything. 

Harper thought about the idea that Clark had planted in her mind. Lex did promise that he would visit her that day, but she thought she would spare him the trouble and beat him to it. But she frowned at her outfit, realizing that she needed to look better than frumpy. Besides, she grinned when she thought of just the thing that was sure to ensure that she had his full attention. She decided to ditch the rest of the school day and headed out to her truck, going home to change before heading out to the mansion. 

When she stepped into the foyer, Harper was met by a surprising silence. She hummed to herself as she trekked through the room, headed towards Lex’s office. She paused in a sitting room, grabbing a picture that she hadn’t noticed before. A younger version of Lex (this one having a mess of bright red hair) stood with a tall and elegant woman, both of them smiling and laughing at the camera. She smiled down at the photograph, glad there was a time in Lex’s life when he was truly happy. Her heart ached as she realized she wanted to be the person that was able to bring him that happiness again. 

“You remind me a lot of her.” 

She jumped at the sudden voice behind her, turning to see Lionel standing there. He had his hands clasped behind his back as he watched her, his eyes scanning her body with slightly pursed lips. She didn’t care to hide the small look of disdain she wore when her eyes landed on him. 

“Mr. Luthor,” she ground out, trying to be as curt as possible. She wanted nothing more than to tear this man to shreds, but she knew she couldn’t. 

He raised an eyebrow when she spoke to him. “We’re using formalities now? I didn’t think that would be necessary, _Miss Scott_. After all, if I intend to get to know the…rather _young_ …woman who’s sharing my son’s bed, I would assume we call each other by name.” 

Harper crossed her arms. “You think you know Lex? Or me for that matter? Well, Lionel, you have another thing coming.” 

He scoffed. “Come now, Harper. You can’t expect me to believe you came to talk to Lex dressed like _that_.” 

She raised an eyebrow, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. “And how would you know that? You don’t know me.” 

Lionel rolled his eyes, a small glare beginning to etch itself onto his features, and she smirked. She knew she was getting under his skin, and she had no intention of stopping. 

“If I remember correctly, the last…two, was it? The last two times I’ve seen you in the mansion, you have worn at least one piece of clothing belonging to my son.” He took a menacing step toward her, but she held her ground. He walked around her in a circle, reminiscent of a predator stalking its prey. “Lex finds a certain type of woman to be very _appealing_ , and you, Miss Scott, fit that type to the letter at this moment.” 

She raised an eyebrow as he leaned down, whispering in her ear. 

“And I won’t deny, I can see the appeal.” 

She growled, turning and sending her palm flying across his cheek. He looked at her, mildly shocked, as he touched the now bright red section of his cheek. “You’re just like the rest of them.” she spat. “It’s no wonder Lex hates having you around.” 

“And am I to believe he told you that?” 

She crossed her arms and scoffed. “He didn’t have to.” 

He nodded solemnly, though it was obvious he was mocking her. “Right, because you know him _so well_. Is that right?” 

She rolled her eyes. “I can see why he never talks about you. You’re insufferable. And arrogant, conceited, and self-diluted. You serve no one's interests but your own.” 

He backed her up against the wall, his eyes screaming at her while his outward demeanor was nothing but calm. Now she knew where Lex had gotten that specific ability. “The interests of myself, and my son.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “ _Then get on your knees and bow_.” she snarled. Harper refused to let him intimidate her. And by the amused look on his face, he knew it wasn’t working. 

Lionel pursed his lips. “You’re not like the others. You have spirit.” 

She bristled at his words, but didn’t say anything.   
“I can see why Lex keeps you around. Other than for, how do you people say it? _A good roll in the hay_.”

“Don’t make me hit you again.” she snapped. 

“Lex did always like it rough, judging by the women he’s brought home before. But do me a favor, Harper.”

“What’s that?” she growled. 

“Don’t distract him. He has a company to run, and he needs to focus on that. Any other pursuits, pleasurable or not, come second. Never forget that, Miss Scott, and you might last for a long while.” He backed away from her and clasped his hands behind his back once again. “Enjoy the rest of your day.” And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her staring after him, wondering what exactly just happened. Did he not so subtly just give her his…blessing? She shook her head at the thought, wondering what it was that she did to gain his, minute as it was, approval. 

The door of his study opened and Lex didn’t bother to look up, instead muttering something along the lines of, go away. He was buried in paperwork as he sifted through files, looking for any evidence of what the doctor had told him. 

“Awe, come on Alex. That’s no way to treat a guest, now is it?” 

He looked up when he heard her voice, about to tell her that he didn’t have as much time to spend with her as he would have liked, when the protest died on his lips. Instead, he sat there, staring at her with hid mouth half opened as she shut the door and quietly approached his desk. She looked at with a knowing smirk, having her bottom lip barely tucked between her teeth, something she knew got him excited. All the warnings that Lionel had given her were immediately dispelled from her mind when she saw the way he looked at her. 

He took in the tight leather leggings, black combat boots, and form fitting red tank top under her bomber jacket as she approached him. His eyes as darted down the length of her body, appreciating how well those pants hugged her curves. His eyes snapped back up to hers when she made a sort of cooing sound. 

“What are you doing, Harper?” he asked. 

She shrugged. “Clark was too busy to hang out with me, so he told me to come here.” 

Lex raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Clark asked you to come here…dressed in _that_?” Didn’t Clark know that Lex was having a hard _enough_ time maintaining his self control around Harper as it was? Sending her to him while she was dressed in that particular outfit was torture in itself, something he would have to berate his young friend for later. But right now? He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her when she moved closer. 

She laughed. “No. I changed before I came.” 

He frowned. Why would she- 

“What are you doing?” he asked as she grasped his maroon silk shirt in her hands, pulling him to his feet. He felt a little extra pull, and he guessed she was using her powers to help him along. Dazed as he was at the moment, he allowed it to happen.

“Something I should have done a long time ago.” she responded quietly. 

And without another word, she stood on her tip toes, and her lips found his. 

Surprised, Lex didn’t know what to do. He had thought about this moment more than he cared to admit, but he never thought it would actually happen. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, but once it did, he kissed her back with as much ferocity as she had. His hands wound around her waist as hers slid up his neck and across his head. She angled herself slightly, opening her mouth for him as his tongue skimmed her lips. It quickly became a heated battle for dominance. She abandoned all pretense of gentleness as her fingers furiously worked at the buttons of his shirt, popping them open (and off) one by one. He grabbed the lapels of her bomber jacket and jerked it off her shoulders.

He pulled away from her lips to trail a path of hot, open mouthed kisses down her neck, eliciting a moan from her as he sucked the skin between his teeth. She made it abundantly clear where she thought there relationship should stand. And if that’s the way she wanted it, then who was he to deny her? But he was going to make sure to mark her as his and his alone. So long as he lived, no other man would ever _dare_ touch her. 

She had finally managed to get all the buttons on his shirt undone, untucking it from the waistband of his pants as she slipped it from his shoulders. Her nails raked down his chest and he bent down, grabbing her thighs and hoisting her up. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he set her on the desk.   
Screw the paperwork. 

His hands rubbed up and down her legs, squeezing her thighs as she caught his earlobe between her teeth. She braced herself against his shoulder when his lips trailed across the exposed skin of her chest and her nails dug into his skin when she felt his teeth leave another mark. He pulled back long enough to slip the thin red material over her head, marveling briefly at how _good_ she looked in black lace before his lips found hers again. Her legs tightened around his waist as she pressed closer to him, rocking her hips slightly and eliciting a pleasure filled moan from Lex. 

His hands were roaming her body, feeling her toned muscles as their lips intertwined and they fought for dominance. She could feel the hardened planes of his chest and abs as she dragged her fingers down his skin. It wasn’t until her fingers began toying with his belt buckle that he realized what exactly it was that he was doing. His eyes snapped open and he pulled away from her slightly, resting his hands on either side of her hips to keep himself balanced. “Why’d you stop?” she asked breathlessly in his ear, kissing his jaw as she whipped the belt from the loops. 

It took every ounce and then some of his self control to look in her eyes and tell himself to stop. She could see the torn expression on his face and she chuckled, a breathy sound that sent his head spinning. She pressed her lips lightly against his before she wiggled towards the edge of the desk, making him groan again as she rubbed against him. He pulled her back with him as he stumbled away from the desk, his mind nothing but a fog. He was barely aware to anything but her lips. He didn’t want to be aware of anything else. She began leading him backwards to one of the hidden corridors that she knew led upstairs and towards his bedroom. Her tongue skimmed his lips, feeling the slight dip on his top lip where the scar was. 

"Mmhm, Harper,” he ground out as she pulled back to kick off her boots. 

“What?” she asked, sounding irritated as she moved in for another kiss. 

God, she was making it so hard for him to say no.   
One thought briefly passed through his mind as he attacked her skin once again, sucking and nipping as he went. 

Why? 

Her back slammed against the wall and his fingers dug into her hips, sure to leave more bruises. She smiled against his lips, a feeling of euphoria taking over. Neither of them were thinking clearly as his hand stopped at the clasp of her bra. It wasn’t until that moment that he pulled back entirely, and she followed him, her lips taking their turn on his neck.   
“We need to stop.” he muttered, his hand making a fist in her hair. 

“Why?” she responded, pressing herself up against him. She made a move to continue dragging him along with her, and he was being led like a bull to the slaughter. But at this very moment, her wish was his command. His breath was heavy and ragged as she left a mark of her own on his neck, making him suck in a breath with a hiss. He wasn’t capable of formulating a proper thought as her fingers manages to clasp around the doorknob and knock open the door leading to the hidden staircase. She took a step backward, dragging him along. 

Then realization fully dawned on him. 

She had been infected. 

“Because you’re not yourself.” he said firmly. She ignored him, her teeth and tongue doing wonders on his skin. She knew the exact spots to touch to get his mind in a fog again. He had to drag himself out of the fog, knowing if he didn’t, he would end up doing something to hurt them both. But God, he didn’t know if he had it in him to say no. He wasn’t going to deny that he had wanted her for a long time, and now that he finally had the chance, he was going to give it up. Taking a deep breath before she tried to claim his lips again, he pushed her back by her shoulders. “Harper. You have to stop.” he said. And the look on her face almost ripped his heart in half. 

He refused to take advantage of her like this. He loved her too much for that. She wasn’t herself, she wasn’t his Harper. Her mind had been somehow altered and while he desperately wanted her to himself, he would never ruin her reputation or her body. So when she glared at him, shoved him away, and stormed back to the desk to grab her shirt and jacket before righting her bra, he felt his heart breaking. He knew that would probably the first and only time he would ever have the opportunity to kiss her like that. 

“Have a nice life, Lex.” she snapped over her shoulder, pulling her shirt and boots on. She walked towards the door, not intending to look back, when his voice made her stop. 

“Harper, wait!” he exclaimed, running after her and picking up his own shirt as he went. She turned to snarl something back at him, but her eyes rolled back and she dropped, Lex barely having time to catch her head before she completely collapsed. He briefly thought that he would have to talk to her about making it a habit to constantly fall into his arms as he checked her pulse. He let out a relieved sigh when he felt it, calling for help while he gently picked her up and moved her to the couch.

* * *

“What happened?!” Clark demanded, shoving his way through the hospital staff. He found Lex sitting by Harper’s bedside. “What happened to her?”

Lex sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. He had been in this hospital way too much for his taste, especially when it was for Harper. He looked at her with guilt and pain filled eyes. “She was infected.” he muttered, looking up to Clark, who was making his way to her side.

He laid his palm on her forehead before turning a panicked look to Lex. “She’s burning up.”

The billionaire nodded. “I know. Grant was in here a few minutes ago. I called Ken and Sarah, they should be here any minute. Do you know how she could have come in contact with the plant?” 

Clark frowned. “She didn’t tell you? Beales brought the plant to her lab. She said the pollen made her cough and sneeze after he left.” 

“How long ago was that?!” Lex demanded. 

Clark shrugged. “Three days ago, maybe a little longer?” 

Lex ran a hand over his head. “Why didn’t she start showing signs of infection earlier?” he muttered to himself. “Grant said it didn’t affect her as fast, but she’s been the worst so far.” 

Clark felt dread settle over him. Lana had slipped into a coma not too long before. “How long has she been like this?” 

“What, in a coma?” Lex snapped. Then he sighed. “I’m sorry. Almost three hours.” 

“How much longer does she have?” 

“Honestly Clark? I have no idea.” 

* * *

“Talk to me, Hamilton.” Lex snapped, glaring at the scientist across the room from him. “Did you find anything?” 

Hamilton nodded. “It’s a slow process, but we’re beginning to make progress.” 

Lex hurled the glass he was holding at the fireplace, making it shatter to a million pieces. “I don’t care if it’s _slow,_ Hamilton! I want results!” 

“There are years of folklore and research to try and sift through, Lex. It won’t happen overnight.” 

Lex stalked towards the other man, his temper flaring. “I swear to God, Hamilton. If Harper _dies_ because of this _research_ you’ve been doing, you’ll lose something a lot more valuable than your tenure. I don’t give a crap about what you have and haven’t found on _folklore_. I want a cure. Harper doesn’t have time for you to sift through two hundred years of research.” 

Dr. Hamilton raised an eyebrow. “You seem rather invested in this young woman, Lex.” 

Lex growled. “ _Find a cure_.” 

* * *

“Grant? What’s going on? Talk to me.” 

“ _It's not good, Lex. We’ve had to shock her twice already. Whatever it is you’re doing, do it faster_.” 

Lex hung up the phone, leaning heavily against the desk in front of him. He squeezed his eyes shut as his mind reeled, trying to think of anything that could help. When he opened his eyes, staring out the window, he felt a single tear slide down his cheek. He wasn’t going to lose her. He _couldn’t_. 

* * *

“Tell me you found something, doctor.” 

Hamilton grinned. “We found it. Apparently, the native Americans had an herbal remedy that worked to counteract the effects of the poison.” 

“Get this to Grant, and my team in Metropolis. Right now.” 

* * *

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Harper jolted upright, looking widely around the hospital room. The heart monitor beside her started beeping like crazy as panic settled over her. She saw a face in front of her and she relaxed, seeing her mother. “Mom?” 

Sarah smiled. “Hey, sweetie. You had us worried there for a while.” 

She groaned at the pain in her head. “What happened? 

“There was some sort of a virus you were exposed to. You…you almost didn’t make it.” 

Harper smiled weakly up at her parents. “You know me. I’m too stubborn to go out like that.” 

Ken and Sarah both laughed. “You’ve got a visitor.” 

As if on cue, Lex appeared in the doorway, and Harper turned a tired smile on him. “Hey, Lex.” She glanced back at her parents. 

“We'll give you both a moment.” 

They walked out if the room with a nod to Lex, and he walked over to Harper’s hospital bed, hands in the pockets of his coat. 

“What happened?” 

He sighed. “The flower Beales brought you. You were infected. Grant told me in the time you were in the coma, they had to shock you five times to keep you with us.” 

She nodded to the empty spot beside her and he sat down, taking her hands in his. 

“I was so worried about you, Harper. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 

Her tired smile became a little wider. “That’s my line, Luthor.” 

He grinned at her. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Lex leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. 

She frowned. “I…I don’t remember anything. I didn’t do anything… _stupid_ …did I?” 

He laughed. “Well, you certainly gave my father what for.” 

Her cheeks reddened and he laughed again. 

“If he didn’t like you before, it’s a safe bet to say he does now.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Right, because I’m a loveable teddy bear.” 

Lex snorted, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes. “Don’t sell yourself short, pipsqueak.” 

She nodded slowly, not able to move much because of the throbbing headache. Then she frowned, lifting her hand. Her fingers brushed his jaw and she turned his head slightly, noticing the bruise. “What happened? 

“Nothing for you to worry about. I ran into something earlier.” 

She frowned, not believing him, but deciding not to push the matter further. “Thank you.” she said softly. 

“For what?” 

“Caring about me.” 

And with that, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, one of her hands still captured in Lex's.

"Always." He whispered quietly.


	18. Wicked Game - Theory of a Deadman

Clark stood in the middle of the now empty public pool, hands in his pockets as Harper angrily skated through and around the concrete. Her feet were a whirlwind of furious movements as she did tricks and spins and kicks.

“So, are you gonna tell me what this is all about?” he asked.

She growled as she sipped past him, smacking his chest in the process before doing a kickflip and heading back around.

“I haven’t seen you this upset in a long time.”

She came skidding to a stop in front of him, her chest heaving with the deep and rapid breaths she took. She had stripped off her bomber jacket and long-sleeved shirt earlier, leaving her in a sports bra and her jeans as she worked up a sweat. She needed something to help her cool off and not fling anyone into a wall before the day was over. “Take a wild guess.” she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow as he handed her the water bottle, to which she downed almost half of it in one gulp. “You know, most people talk about their problems, or take it out on a punching bag. You, on the other hand, try to freeze yourself to death in the middle of winter, skating on an ice coated concrete pool.”

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Clark. I’ve been doing this long enough to know when I will and won’t hurt myself.”

He snorted his displeasure. “That’s beside the point. And you never answered my question.”

“Lionel.” she spat out, wiping her chin with the back of her hand when water started to drip down.

Clark frowned. “What does he have to do with anything?”

She rolled her eyes before handing the bottle back to him and skating off in the opposite direction. “He showed up in my lab this morning.”

He started. “What?”

She nodded as she came back around. “Yeah, that’s what I said, too.”

“Well…what’d he want?”

_Harper moved around her lab, singing along to the song a that played through the radio speakers in the corner. She was in the process of running some tests on her blood, hoping that would give her some insight as to what type of changes her body was undergoing. She sighed as she looked at one of the previous printouts, knowing that her genetic structure was continuing to change. She wondered just hoe far the transformation would go. Would she even be considered **human** anymore? The thought sent a shiver down her spine as she continued to work, jumping several feet and feeling her heart race when she turned around. _

_Lionel Luthor stood, observing her quietly, with his hands clasped behind his back._

_She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart as she glared at him. “Do you have to **lurk** all the time?” she snapped, brushing past him and knocking her shoulder into his arms as she moved towards the computer on the other side of the room. _

_His chuckle filled the room, the deep sound reverberating in his chest. She paused briefly when she realized how much he and Lex sounded alike._

_“I assure you, Harper, I had no intention of **lurking**.” _

_She set the paper down beside the laptop and turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “We're on a first name basis now?” she asked. “Have I missed something, **Lionel**?” _

_He raised an eyebrow. “I do believe we’ve already discussed this.”_

_Rolling her eyes, she turned back to her work. She didn’t have time to deal with his petty games. “Care to enlighten me?”_

_He sighed, an annoyed sound that made her smile. It was the little things in life, such as irritating the man that caused one of her best friends so many problems, that made her smile. “I’m trying to be reasonable here, Harper. But if you don’t want to cooperate, then that’s fine. I can get my answers elsewhere.”_

_She snorted. “When are you ever reasonable?”_

_“When I’m trying to get to know the woman who’s sleeping with my son.” he growled._

_Harper was glad she hadn’t taken a drink if the soda beside her, otherwise it would have been all over the computer screen. She whirled around, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. “What did you just say?!”_

_He rolled his eyes. “We’re both adults here, Harper. Let’s not pretend what’s going on is something other than what it is.”_

_Her eyes flashed, and she put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know what you’re smoking, Luthor-”_

_“The occasional 1950s Coronas.”_

_“-but Lex and I **are not** sleeping together.” _

_He raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t so keen to dismiss my assumptions last week.” he said. “I have to say, I’m getting rather tired of this game you’re playing, miss Scott.”_

_Harper growled. “I don’t know what you’re getting at Lionel, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”_

_“You can’t expect me to believe that you have no recollection of our conversation whatsoever.” he said._

_She smacked her forehead. “This has something to do with the Nicodemus poisoning, doesn’t it?” she muttered._

_“If you mean the time you slapped me, then yes.”_

_Both her eyebrows rose. “Well, I’ll be darned. Someone actually had the guts to stand up to you.”_

_He growled and took a step forward. “I would tread carefully, Harper. You don’t have as much influence as you think you do.”_

_“Influence over what?” she asked. “It's not like I’m trying to plan a hostile takeover. But, come to think of it, the thought isn’t unappealing.” she said with pursed lips. “You think Lex would support me if I went after LuthorCorp?”_

_He let out another irritated sigh. “This is getting us nowhere.”_

_Harper crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Obviously,” she snarked. “So why don’t you just tell me what you’re here for, so we can get this unpleasant meeting over with?”_

_He raised an eyebrow, making a mental note of her abrasiveness. She didn’t appear to have any qualms about speaking her mind around him, and it was becoming obvious his normal intimidation tactics were useless on her. So, he just smiled at her and took a step back, looking around the room with mild curiosity._

_“What exactly is it that you do at LuthorCorp?” he asked._

_Harper blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Well…I don’t technically have an official title…” she started. “I do a bit of everything. At the moment, Lex has me doing research on cancer alternatives. I developed a method using the meteor rock radiation instead of Chemo therapy. It’s a lot safer and is getting ready to start clinical trials.”_

_He raised an eyebrow at her explanation. “How old are you?” he asked blatantly._

_She snorted. She got that all the time. “Seventeen.”_

_“And you’ve accomplished this in **how** long?” _

_“There months? Maybe a little less?” she said, pursing her lips as she thought it over. Honestly, the time blurred together, and she had lost all sense of the word._

_He pursed his lips. “That’s quite the accomplishment for such a young woman. I suppose Lex **did** see past your outward beauty.” _

_Harper blinked in surprise, her eyebrows raising slightly. That was perhaps the most civil thing that Lionel Luthor had ever said to her. And, in the middle of it, he added a compliment. Even if he did follow it up with an insult._

_“Thank you.” she said, crossing her arms in an awkward manner, not knowing what to do with the man that stood in front of her._

_He nodded once. “I’m pleasantly surprised with your work here, miss Scott. LuthorCorp is in desperate need of more scientists like you. Though, I regret to note that you’re on Lex's payroll, not mine. I don’t appreciate it when my competition comes from within my own company.”_

_She snorted. “I made him work for it. He asked, tried to bribe, and hounded me for almost six months before I agreed to come see the plant.” She decided to stick with the more diplomatic route for now, not wanting to make her already tense relationship with her boss’ boss even worse._

_Lionel nodded. “My son always has liked a challenge. I wonder if there's any chance I would be able to sway you to come work for me in Metropolis?”_

_She shook her head. “I’m really happy where I’m at. Plus, I still have high school to finish.”_

_Lionel sighed, obviously unhappy with her answer, but he nodded, deciding to change the subject. “Tell me, what other projects are you working on in the near future?”_

_Harper shrugged. “Whatever Lex needs me to do.”_

_He pursed his lips as he looked around the room once again. “Well. It was a most enlightening experience, Harper. And I do hope you keep my previous advice in mind.”_

_Her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. “What advice?” she asked, obviously confused._

_“I’m not fond of repeating myself, miss Scott. Remember this for next time. Don’t distract Lex. And I would hate to see your talent go to waste because you became…attached.” He inclined his head slightly. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”_

_He left the lab, leaving Harper to watch him leave, confusion and frustration obvious in her tense posture._

**_What type of game is he playing?_ ** _she thought._

She growled. “He basically came to threaten me.”

Clark's protective nature bristled. “He threatened you?”

Harper shrugged. “In so many words, yeah.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What’d he say?”

She crossed her arms as the board started rolling away. Reaching out with her mind. She stopped the wheels dead in their tracks. “He said he would hate to see my talent go to waste because I got _attached._ ” she said, using airquotes before crossing her arms. “And he’s insisting that Lex and I are screwing around and _will not_ take _no_ for an answer.” She wasn’t sure why the assumption bothered her so much, it never had in the past.

Whether she cared to admit it or not, deep in the darkest depths of her subconscious, she wished she and Lex were more than just friends. But with so much at stake, the world watching them, and the ridiculous town of Smallville that wouldn’t mind their own freaking business, she had a lot to keep track of. She didn’t plan on jeopardizing Lex's newfound good reputation for a ridiculous little fantasy that she was sure was hers alone.

_Besides, what would Lex even see in a murderer like me?_ she thought bitterly.

Clark raised an eyebrow. “Well…are you?” he asked, albeit somewhat awkwardly. But his words were enough to drag her from her thoughts, bringing her back to the real world.

Her mouth dropped open and she smacked his chest, sending him staggering backwards as she used more force than she meant to. But she was glad it got her point across. “ _No!_ ” she hissed.

He shrugged when he approached her again. “Well, the two of you do spend a lot of time together. And you have stayed the night at the mansion before-”

“Since when do you keep tabs on me?” she asked suspiciously.

Clark’s brows furrowed as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Come on, H. I’m just worried about keeping you safe. I know you’ve slept there before. And please, it would be so much easier, _for everyone,_ if my two best friends weren’t dating each other.”

She snorted before going back to skating. “You should know me better than that, Clark. In all the time I’ve known you, how many guys have I dated?”

He thought a moment. “None?”

“Exactly. And I don’t plan on stacking up that number any time soon.” She did a couple quick flips before bailing and grabbing her jacket and shirt. Her third period was about to start, and she needed to get back to the school. Not like her actual attendance of the classes mattered much anymore. As long as she got the work done, the teachers seemed satisfied. And half the time, she was the one that ended up teaching the class.

She glanced at Clark. He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning his back to her with a smile. “Hop on, pipsqueak. But hold on tight.”

Harper grinned, doing as she was told. But she frowned when she realized what Clark had called her. For some reason, she didn’t like the name when it rolled off his lips instead of Lex’s. Sighing quietly, she ignored it and wrapped her legs around Clark’s waist when she jumped onto his back. She almost lost her grip on him when he suddenly took off. But he had a tight grip on her legs, probably tighter than he realized. And it was when the wind almost ripped her off his back that she decided piggy back rides at superspeed was not a smart idea. When Clark came to a sudden stop on the track, Harper yelped as she lost her balance, ending up falling flat on her butt. Clark laughed as he turned around and hauled her up, dusting off the snow from her jacket.

She groaned as her shoulder began protesting the cold, the muscles tensing and screaming at her. Clark frowned as her face contorted slightly with the pain. “You doof,” he said. “I told you not to stay out so long.”

She crossed her arms despite the creaking protest of the fabricated joint. “I'm an adult, I do what I want!”

He snorted. “Not yet, H.”

Harper frowned, realizing she still had almost nine months before she was _officially_ an adult in the state of Kansas. “Whatever…” she grumbled. “Close enough.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “I’ll see you later, H.”

She started to walk away when his words stopped her.

“But…be careful around Lionel. I trust Lex, but I _do not_ trust his father. Lionel is all the bad that Lex is good. Just watch your six, okay?”

She nodded, already mulling the statement over in her head. She gave him a small salute and smile before heading back into the school. She walked towards her last class of the day, hand gripping the strap of her backpack until her knuckles turned white.

Clark was right.

Lionel was everything that Lex was not, and even some of what he was. It’s no wonder that Lex turned out the way he did. But Harper liked to think that she was one of the reasons Lex was changing, and hopefully for the better.

When she first met him, Lex was arrogant, self absorbed, and manipulative. Even this far down the line, she wasn’t entirely sure that their friendship had been her choice. Looking back, she definitely saw areas where Lex manipulated the situation to his advantage. But as their friendship grew and as they grew closer, she started noticing small changes in Lex’s personality, and she had to admit, that was one of the reasons she agreed to work for him.

She saw him begin to put the welfare of others before himself. He seemed genuinely interested in helping the people of Smallville, not just doing it to make some fast money.

Harper thought that was probably one of the reasons she was developing stronger feelings for him. Though she would never admit that fact out loud to anyone, as she barely registered it herself.

Her mind was in several different places as she completed the school day in what seemed like record time. And while she was sitting in her room, staring down at the calculus paper in front of her, she knew the answers were correct, but she had no idea how they had transferred from her mind to the paper. The whole ordeal with Lionel was another thing that set her on edge. Obviously they had a conversation while she was infected by the Nicodemus, but she never really thought about the extent of it. She knew Lex had cameras in the mansion, she could just ask him about it. But then that would lead into other questions he undoubtedly had, including why Lionel was visiting her at the plant.

She knew there was something both Luthor men  were trying to hide from her, and she knew she shouldn’t go digging. The secrets she tried to uncover usually landed her in the hospital. She snorted at the thought, thinking just how many times she had actually been in the hospital since she had met Lex. Come to think of it, it seemed that she spent more time lying in a bed than anything else.

Right after she met Lex, she spent several hours in the hospital getting her leg stitched up and talking to the cops about the accident. After that was the Scarecrow incident, and while she wasn’t actually in the hospital, she spent more time with Grant than she cared to admit. Then there was the bullet in the shoulder. And then there was the blackout after she had her _visit_ with Phelan in Clark’s barn. After that, Lex insisted he have Grant look her over as soon as they got back from the warehouse. And most recently, the Nicodemus accident.

She pursed her lips as she thought about it. She would definitely have to be more careful when it came to her _adventures_ with Lex. Since he had literally crashed into her life, it had been nothing but crazy. But honestly, she wouldn't trade that crazy for anything. It had become her life, become a part of her. And she wasn’t willing to give that up. Not for Clark, not for Lex, and certainly _not for Lionel._ Whatever beef he had with her would have to get worked out sooner rather than later, but she was in no way standing down from her position or backing off. Lionel Luthor was a man of many talents, but taking the answer _no_ was not one of them. She knew he had to be knocked down a few pegs, and she was itching for the opportunity to do that herself.

She jumped as she was jerked out of her thoughts by the ringing of her phone. She didn’t even look at the caller ID before answering. “Yo, wassup?”

A snort sounded through the speaker. _“Real professional there, pipsqueak.”_

She rolled her eyes. “It had to be you, Clark, or Chloe. No one ever calls my cell.”

_“I suppose that’s true. Listen, I got a call today from Jeremiah. They’re pushing your idea and we **almost** have approval. But the board wants to meet with you personally. I guess they want to see what kind of crazy genius came up with the idea of meteor rocks as therapy.” _

She snorted. “Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. Just connected a few dots. I mean come on, the-

_“You don’t have to explain it to me, pipsqueak. It’s the board you have to convince.”_

Harper rolled her eyes, leaning back against her desk chair. “When do they want to meet?”

She could picture him shrugging as he sipped his scotch. _“A few days. I’ll fly you to Metropolis in the chopper. But I want you to take either Chloe or Clark with you.”_

She raised an eyebrow. “Awe, are you worried about me, Luthor?”

_“Yes.”_

She grinned. “Come on, Lex. Its not like I cant take care of myself.”

He sighed. _“I know. But every time you try to take care of yourself, you end up blacking out.”_

She pursed her lips as he continued.

_“I know you’re capable, pipsqueak. But I don’t want something happening and I can’t get to you.”_

She sighed. “Okay, I’ll talk to Clark. Besides, mom and dad will be in Gotham around that time. But why can’t you just come with me?”

He sighed. _“I would love to, Harper. But my father planned a last minute visit to the plant that day and he’s insisting I be there.”_

Harper frowned. “He didn’t tell you?”

_“…tell me what?”_

“He was there _today_. Came to bother me in my lab too.”

_“…”_

She frowned. “Lex?”

_“I’m coming over.”_

“Wait, Lex-”

But he didn’t give her a chance to protest. He had already hung up by the time she tried. She sighed and scrubbed a hand down her face. It seemed that Lex and Lionel had their own personal war going on, and she was caught in the middle of it. She decided to make her way downstairs, tying her hair up in a ponytail as she went. She had already changed put of her school clothes to a pair of tight fitting yoga pants and a tank top, the house being thoroughly heated with central heating. Deciding to make the most of the few minutes she had before Lex stormed into her house, she grabbed a pot and some leftover chili to heat up. She figured he probably hadn’t eaten lunch yet, something she had to constantly remind him to do. She hummed quietly, smirking to herself when she heard a car door slam a few minutes later.

“Three…two…one…”

There was a quiet knock in the door before it opened with a bang, Lex effectively storming the castle.

Harper grinned to herself as she kept her back to him. “Shut the door, Lex, you’re letting all the cold air in.” she said.

He obediently did as he was told, making sure to shut the door all the way so the wind wouldn’t blow it open again. “What are you doing?” he asked.

She dipped out a few ladles full of chili and dumped it in a bowl before turning around and shoving it at him. “You probably didn’t eat lunch. So, eat.” She pointed to the island bar and he glanced over before furrowing his brows at her.

“How did-”

“Because I know you, Lex. Now shut up and eat.” She grabbed her own bowl and a glass of orange soda before joining him, passing a bag of shredded cheese to add to the hot chili.

When she was sure he had calmed down enough, she spoke. “Now, what is it that you broke the speed limit to get here for?”

He rolled his eyes. “You know darn well, Harper.” He had noticed her lack of cursing over the course of their friendship, and he did his best to reign in his obnoxious tongue when he was in her presence, something that she noticed and appreciated.

“Lex, all he did was poke around in my lab and ask some prying questions.”

He frowned as he took another bite. “What kind of prying questions? This is really good by the way.”

She snorted. “Oh, you know, the usual. What was my job, why do I question his authority, how long have we been sleeping together, when does my treatment go to clinicals, that sort of thing.”

He almost choked on his chili and she had to hold back a bark of laughter. She managed to keep a poker face as he effectively lost it.  

“What?!” he demanded. “How long have we _what?_ ”

She rolled her eyes. “Been sleeping together. You know, Lex, I'm surprised he didn’t have this talk with you already. And I’m sure you have plenty of experience with it. You see, Lex, when two people love each other-”

“I know what it means.” he snapped. “Why would my father think that?”

Harper shrugged. “It’s not that hard to get that opinion. I mean, come on. What 23-year-old man spends all his free time with a 17-year-old girl? And that girl also happens to spend her free time with him. And sleep at his house, wear his clothes, that sort of thing.”

He glowered at her. “You’re taking that assumption remarkably well.”

She shrugged again. She was beyond the point of it bothering her that much anymore. She couldn’t care less about what people thought about her. But if she dwelled on it, she would start stressing about Lex’s reputation. So, she thought it best to avoid that topic all together. “Honestly not the first time someone brought that to my attention.”

Lex raised an eyebrow. “And how _exactly_ did you handle it?”

Once again, Harper gave him a nonchalant shrug. “I told them to piss off and mind their own business.”

He let out a snort of laughter and smiled at her. “I would have done the same thing. In a less civilized way.”

She grinned. “I know.”

“So. About this trip to Metropolis…”

* * *

**THREE DAYS LATER**

Clark looked out the window of the helicopter, eyes wide as he gripped the seat with a white knuckled grip. Harper glanced over at him and snorted. “Oh, what? Is big, bad, invincible Clark afraid of heights?”

Clark’s head whipped around and he glared at her. “You know how I feel about heights.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I do. And that’s what makes this situation even more hilarious.” She grinned at his continuous glare. “Ah, come on, Clark.”

He grumbled a string of incomprehensible mutterings, which only served to make her laugh more.

“So what all am I here for?” Clark asked, changing the subject as he looked back at her.

She shrugged. “Lex wanted me to bring you along. He said he would have come himself but Lionel made a surprise visit to the plant. I mean, come on, it’s not like I’m incapable of taking care of myself.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So I’m here for protection?”

She shrugged in agreement. “Pretty much, yeah. But hey, you get to be one of the first people that knows whether or not they approved my method.”

Clark nodded. That was one upside. “But that doesn’t make it worth flying here.”

Harper laughed. “Okay, you got me there. I’m sorry I dragged you all the way up here. I tried to tell Lex that you could just meet me there, that you didn’t like to fly, but he insisted. He literally would not take no for an answer.”

Clark nodded. He knew how persuasive the billionaire could be.

They spent the rest of the flight in silence, mostly looking out at the faraway ground below them as they flew towards Metropolis. Harper felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She had prepared a speech to the best of her ability, but writing was definitely not one of her strong suits. But she knew how to explain what the board would want to know, and Lex had helped her practice any questions that they might ask. He was able to understand her in depth answers because he was the one that worked on the project with her, but he had made it a point to tell her to dumb it down just a bit for the suits. They wouldn’t be able to comprehend all the science that she would normally have spit out. Her mind replayed the speech and any other comments she would want to make as they flew through the air.

It took about half an hour to reach their destination, and Clark happily exited the helicopter first before helping Harper down. She grinned up at him from under the blades, holding her bag close to her side so it wouldn’t fly away as they made their way into the building.

When they reached the 5th floor by elevator, she headed for the bathroom. She quickly readjusted her knee length leather skirt and red blazer before grabbing the 6 inch heels out of her bag and swapping those for her boots. She had tied her hair in a braid, but because of the high winds, she decided to pull it out and leave her hair to do whatever it pleased, ending up in large ringlets that cascaded over her shoulders.

Looking a little windblown, she stepped out of the bathroom with a huff, pulling the waistline of her skirt up as she did. “How do I look?” she asked, spinning in a small circle for Clark.

He smiled at her. “Like a million bucks.”

She nodded and shoved her bag towards him, happy that she had shoved a pair of jeans in to change into when she was done with the presentation so she wouldn’t have to suffer the rest of the night in the ridiculous outfit that she had been coerced into.

Clark chuckled at her as she once again rearranged her blazer before taking a deep breath and knocking on the conference room door. He took a seat down the hall, where a lounge was. He set Harper’s bag down in the chair beside him and made himself comfortable. Knowing her, it was going to be as short of a meeting as possible, but it was still going to take a while.

Al the information that he helped her go over sent his head spinning. It was too much for him to process but he hoped she explained it all in a way that would make the board reasonable. He didn’t know a lot about the proper functions of a company, but he understood the basics. And if she couldn’t convince the board of directors to go along with her plan, then everything would fall apart. She would lose months of work and he knew how disappointed she would be.

Several hours later, and Clark had just about depleted the supply of coffee in the lounge. He had made small talk with a few of the other people there, who were waiting for their own meetings. He had almost paced a hole in the floor trying to keep himself awake. His exhaustion level kept rising the longer he had to wait, and he guessed it was only getting started. He was currently slumped over in a chair, head resting against the back with hands in his pockets as he sprawled out. He jumped at the sudden movement in the corner of his eye, and he was on his feet faster than he could blink.

“Harper!” he exclaimed, watching as she approached him, fiddling with the hem of her jacket. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

She wore a poker face, and he hated it. He never had been able to read her when she looked like that, in tune to her emotions as he was.

He reached out to her, hands grasping her shoulders, a concerned look on his face.

But she suddenly broke out into a huge grin, leaping up to wrap her arms around his neck. Surprised, he stumbled back a step, not expecting the movement. He hugged her back, lifting her up off the floor slightly as she laughed in his ear.

“I did it, Clark!” she exclaimed once he had put her back down.

A huge smile crossed his face as he looked down at her. “That’s amazing, Harper!” He squeezed her shoulders, stopping only when she winced at the force. “Hehe, sorry.”

The smile never left her face. It was an amazing feeling, that of victory. And she wanted to revel in it for as long as she could.

“We need to celebrate.”

She nodded, not able to get the smile off her face. “My thoughts exactly.” She thought for a moment, trying to decide what to do. “I’m assuming clubbing is off the list?”

Clark snorted and rolled his eyes. “What would your parents think?”

Harper shrugged. “They don’t know. They never do. Besides, Lex would take me.”

He frowned at her. “What do you mean, _they never do_? And I don’t care if Lex would take you, he’s a grown man. And what are you?”

She gave him an innocent look. “A young, fun loving woman, who wants to let her hair down.” Then she frowned. “I think you could pass for about 20.”

“No.” he said flatly, crossing his arms.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun.”

Clark shrugged. “Eh, you’ll get over it.”

Harper lightly punched his arm before grabbing her bag from the chair. She dug around in the pockets, looking for the phone that she heard buzzing. When she found it, she didn’t even look at the ID. “Hello?”

_“Miss Scott?”_

She frowned. “Yes? This is she.”

_“My name is Jackson. I’m calling on behalf of Mister Luthor.”_

She frowned again, concern settling over her. Clark frowned at her, wondering who it was. “…which one?” she asked cautiously.

The man on the other end chuckled. _“Lionel.”_

She rolled her eyes. “What can I do for Luthor Supreme?” she joked.

That earned another laugh. _“He wanted to extend his congratulations on the approval of your radiation treatment.”_

Harper lifted an eyebrow before putting the call on speaker so Clark could hear it as well. “What if I didn’t get approval?”

_“Then this would be a rather awkward conversation, Miss.”_

She snorted. “You bet it would. But, good news for you, I _did_ get approval.”

_“Well, congratulations Miss Scott. That is a large accomplishment for anyone, but especially one as young as you.”_

“Thanks…I think?”

_“I’m calling to offer you a guided tour of LuthorCorp headquarters.”_

She shrugged. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind when I thought about celebrating.”

_“Well, the tour is always available. Just give the front desk your name and I’ll be there to show you around.”_

She pursed her lips. Why not? “Sure. We’ll probably go grab a bite to eat first. I’m starving.”

He chuckled again. _“Take your time, Miss. Have a good time.”_ And with that, there was the tell-tale click of the phone cutting off. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

“What was that about?” Clark asked.

She shrugged. “Lionel. He’s so full of himself. But he offered the two of us a tour of LuthorCorp’s headquarters. He was trying to get me to join his part of the company, so I figure this is just another one of his games.”

He frowned at her, his eyebrows furrowing as they walked out of the building, headed into the streets of Metropolis. “Uh, Harper?”

“Hm?”

“…the helicopter is on the roof.”

She turned a wild grin to him before nodding and continuing to walk down the busy street. He shook his head quietly and followed. For the most part, she knew what she was doing. He figured he should trust that. But he let out an exasperated groan when she walked into a general store, bag slung over her shoulder and a swagger that said she was going to conquer the world.

He muttered something under his breath before following her in. She headed for the bathroom, presumably to change out of the stuffy outfit she was wearing, leaving him on his own. He browsed through a few aisles before picking up a can of soda and a bag of chips. He was always in the mood to eat. She found him a few moments later, comfortably wearing a baggy hoodie, a pair of jeans, and her favorite boots. She worked on tying her hair up on her head as he grabbed her own chips, holding the package between her teeth as she followed him to the counter.

He rolled his eyes but paid for the both of them, giving the older woman behind the counter a smile.

“So what do you want to do?”

She shrugged. “Food. I’m thinking burgers and fries. What say you?”

He nodded. “That sounds amazing.”

“Good. Follow me. I know this awesome little place. It’s a little shady, but it’s worth it.”

Clark raised an eyebrow. “And you know about this place how?”

Harper just shrugged. “Found it on one of my first trips to Metropolis. And Lex took me there a couple times.”

He snorted. “I’m not surprised.” he muttered.

She shot him a look, telling him to shut up before leading him towards the bus station. It was going to take a while to get there, but she knew the food was well worth the wait and whatever other characters she would have to come in contact with.

* * *

By the time they were done, Clark was completely full, which didn’t happen often. His metabolism was off the charts, and it took a lot to make him feel like he had enough to eat. But thankfully, the little hole in the wall diner had a hamburger supply to last them for a good long while.

Harper was finishing off her chocolate shake, throwing it in a trashcan as they walked down the street, headed back in the direction they had come.

“So, what do you say?”

He groaned. “To what?”

“The tour of LuthorCorp? We might as well, I mean, we’re here.”

He shrugged. “If that’s what you want to do, then sure.”

She nodded, checking the time on her watch to make sure it wasn’t too late. They had to take another bus to get back to LuthorCorp Plaza, which Harper thought was a little too extreme. But, Luthors did love their money. It wasn’t her place to judge what they did with it. But, she had to admit, she was glad that Lex wasn’t as bad when it came to flaunting his wealth. He was at least more tolerable than his father. And for that, she would always be grateful.

They entered the main lobby of what she assumed was the main building, greeted by a bubbly receptionist. She did as Jackson had told her, giving the lady her name and the reason for her visit. The blonde nodded and tapped away at the keyboard of her computer. Not too much longer, the elevator doors dinged open, and a man dressed in a light pin stripe suit stepped out, a Bluetooth headset tucked into his ear. He gave Harper a smile, extending his hand.

“You must be Harper.”

She hesitantly shook his hand. “And I’m assuming that you’re Jackson?”

He nodded, a small chuckle coming out of his mouth. “That’s right. And you must be Clark. Mr. Luthor said you would be with Harper.”

Harper frowned. How had Lionel known that? The only person she told was Lex, and she doubted it made his list of priorities to tell his father who Harper was hanging out with.

“Shall we get started?”

She nodded enthusiastically once she realized what all the tour would include. She would get to see labs similar to hers, including all the research that was going on in LuthorCorp. She was suddenly _very_ excited for the tour. Jackson led her and Clark through just about every inch of the building, including an office space and lab that was reserved for her should she choose to ever leave the Smallville plant. 

That raised both her and Clark’s eyebrows. Lionel sure seemed determined to recruit her for his own purposes.

About three hours later, and the tour was finished. Lex’s helicopter was waiting for her on the helipad, which was where they were headed. “I hope you’ll consider Mr. Luthor’s offer, Harper. He can be a real pain, but he pays his employees remarkably well.”

She rolled her eyes. She figured Lionel wouldn’t pay her even _half_ of what Lex paid her. But she honestly didn’t care about that. She was just happy she got to spend the majority of her time at work with Lex. He was the one directly supervising her projects and he ended up helping her over half the time.

She didn’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.

“I’ll think about it.” she said with a smile. Jackson seemed to accept it and opened the helicopter door for her and Clark, who both waved at him once they were seated.

She knew it was going to be a while before they got back to Smallville, so she made herself comfortable next to Clark, using him as a pillow as she curled up and tried to take a nap.

* * *

When they landed, Clark happy to be on the ground. He walked her to the mansion before looking around and speeding off. She laughed and shook her head. He had a hard time being in the air for any amount of time, which was surprising to her. She had seen him cross counties in a single leap. Though, she figured it was different when he was the one in control.

She readjusted her grip on her messenger bag as she headed into the mansion. Her parents knew she wasn’t going to be back until late, so she figured she might as well have dinner with Lex. She doubted he had eaten all day, which was an ongoing problem for him.

She smiled at the different staffers as she made her way through the mansion, humming to herself as she went. But Harper jumped as a startled maid ran past her. Frowning, she turned her head when she heard a yell. That had to be Lex. She sighed and shook her head, wondering just how badly the meeting with his father had gone.

She quickly made her way to his office, concern flooding through her when she heard the profanities flying from his mouth. She opened the door in time to see him hurl a scotch glass at the fire, having to block her eyes from the sudden burst of flames that shot out into the room. He turned, about to yell, when he realized who it was.

“Lex?” she asked, dropping her bag and stepping into the room. She flicked her wrist and the door closed behind her as she approached him. “What happened?”

She could see the lines of rage that creased his forehead. She reached out, her hand falling on his arm. Immediately, some of the tension dissipated, but she knew he was still upset. Realizing that he was still too angry to form proper words, she pulled him into a hug.

He sighed but accepted the embrace.

After a few moments, she pulled back and examined him closely. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head.

“You wanna talk about it?”

It took him a minute, but he nodded. He pulled out of her arms and sighed, turning around and running a hand over his head. “My father…”

She rolled her eyes. Of course he had to jump in and ruin something.

“He shut down the plant.”


End file.
